Sin
by Possessed4evr
Summary: Mello is ready for an amazing senior year and a vengeful attack on Mikami but Matt's arrest has put a wrench in his plans. Can he prove Matt's innocence when everyone around him is hiding a dirty little secret?
1. Prologue

A/N: Here we are! The first chapter of the sequel to Virgin. IF YOU HAVE NOT READ VIRGIN, THEN DO NOT READ THIS STORY BECAUSE YOU WILL BE VERY CONFUSED. I REPEAT, THIS IS A SEQUEL TO ANOTHER STORY OF MINE!

Anyways, I worked really hard on this chapter and I'm on so much of a roll that I even started the second chapter. Even though updates during the year will be really hard, I'm hoping to get as many chapters as I possibly can done so I can make weekly updates for you. :) YOU'RE WELCOME.

So please enjoy the story. Don't know if there's going to be a third story because I've got my plot set up for the first half of this story so the ending is still being planned. But who knows. Maybe I'll make a third.

Okay yes, I'm definitely making a third.

Enough blabbery. Enjoy the story! :)

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><p>Mello's POV<p>

Senior year was off to a great start. Light and L were finally hanging out again, Misa had finally forced herself to mostly say 'I' instead of 'Misa', and all of my college applications were done and sent.

Well, maybe life wasn't exactly perfect. Senior year was off to a great start until Matt got arrested for drug possession.

I know right?

It was all anyone was talking about at school. You couldn't walk into a classroom without hearing Matt's name or drugs or prison. By lunch, I was seriously fed up. I mean, its not that big a deal anyways. People talked rumors all the time and this one probably wasn't even true.

"Did you hear the news?" A familiar voice called nearby me. Seconds later, Misa's blond bob bounced in front of me as she kissed my cheek. She had cut at least three feet of her hair off during the summer as part of an "inside-and-out" makeover but she still looked great. At least, she looked better to me when she wasn't chattering on and on about gossip that annoyed me.

"Yes, yes, and yes. Its all everyone is talking about. Now come on, I'm hungry." I grumbled as I dragged her in line so no one could cut in front of us.

"Mells, I know you don't want to hear it but L and Light will kill me if I mention him." Misa begged, digging her nails into my arm.

"I'm surprised they haven't already committed suicide by now. They have to be hating this more than me." I said with a frown. "Aww man they don't have any chocolate milk. This is an outrage!"

Misa rolled her eyes and slapped her chocolate milk on my tray. I grinned at her. "When they find your dead body and say you died from chocolate, I won't be surprised."

"That's the way I'm going out." I said wistfully. "Make sure they build a chocolate mural in my honor."

"I'm sure they will." Misa muttered, although I was pretty sure she didn't know what a mural was. We filled up our trays and walked over to our table on the far side of the cafeteria. Light and L were already there, both hunched over a chess board instead of their own food. As usual.

It was almost surreal how instantly Light had dropped his popular status to reunite with us. He was still on the football team and he did hang out with his other friends too. But it was obvious who he was sticking with for good, which filled me with a lot of pride.

"What's the score now?" I asked, sitting next to Light.

"Tie." He answered gruffly, moving his mop of golden brown hair in frustration.

"Again? I guess we'll never know whose smarter." I said with a grin. These two were always going on and on about who was the better genius and the most ridiculous "tests" to try and top each other. There current obsession was chess but neither was able to get the upper hand.

"Oh you'll know soon enough. Because I'm going to win."

"In your dreams Light. Hello Misa." L said, his eyes temporarily on her. Misa smiled back, sitting next to L gracefully.

"Nice to see you L. And Light too." Misa said, nodding at Light. Her eyes widened as she looked over my shoulder and instantly I knew something was up. "Queen Bitch heading your way." She muttered. As soon as I turned, a sickly sweet voice filled the air.

"Mihael! Its so _great_ to see you." Linda, my ex-best friend crooned, sitting next to me as if we were still best friends. Her dark brown hair had been dyed blonde and straightened down her back and her eyes were caked with dark makeup. It was almost impossible to recognize the girl next to me. I groaned in frustration as she threw her arm across me, making her boobs pop out and her too short dress ride up. Disgusting. Even if I liked girls, I'd never go for that.

"I'd say the same Linda but then I'd be lying. What do you want?" Linda pouted as if I had offended her greatly, but I could see a spark of anger behind her eyes. Looks like whatever she was planning wasn't working out. Too damn bad.

"Come on Mells. Aren't you happy to see an old friend?"

"Linda, I'm happy to see you any day of the week that doesn't end with day. Now stop screwing around." Light and L were now focused on the two of us, which I was beginning to dread because I knew what was coming.

"I'm sure you've all heard what happened to Matt by now. And I've come to tell you that the rumors are true. Last time I checked, he's been in a holding cell for the past few days and he's allowed to have visitors." Linda said simply.

"Why would we care?" I asked.

"More importantly, why are you telling us?" Light hissed. "Its pretty obvious we don't talk to him but I guess you are too stupid to see that."

"I wasn't talking to you wannabe." Linda sneered.

"I'd rather be a wannabe than an Aids-ridden slut." Light said loudly enough so the cafeteria could hear.

"What do you want?" I asked, covering my mouth to hide my laugh. Linda scowled, shoving her cell phone at me. On the screen was a picture of someone in a cell, holding a hand up to cover their face. But that tangled mess of red hair was unmistakable.

"How did you get this?" I asked, dread filled my stomach slowly. Linda smiled, taking back her phone and shoving it in her - yuck - bra.

"Matsuda skipped school to visit him yesterday and today so he sent me the picture. He told me to show it to you."

"Me? Why me?"

"Because Matt needs to see you. He wants you to visit him. Its important." All the humor disappeared from her face and she leaned in. "He says you're the only one that can help."

Abruptly, she stood up, squeezing my shoulder as she walked away, back to the table of "populars." Misa looked at me awkwardly but Light and L were focused on the chess board. Whether or not they had heard the last part of Linda's message, it was obvious they were done talking about Matt.

A part of me was angry. Why in the hell would Matt drag me into this? What could he possibly want from me? Was I even going to see him?

Another part of me was curious. Was the drug bust real or was he framed? I wouldn't put it past Mikami to do something like this to cover his own ass. The again, the guy was unfortunately at college so he would be the last person as a suspect.

For now, I would put it out of mind. I didn't even know what the plan was so there was no point in worrying.

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><p>Every single pair of eyes in the classroom looked up at me simultaneously when my phone went off. Mr. Wammy raised an eye brow but didn't comment. "Sorry, its my father." I said, rushing out of the classroom. The unknown number blinked repeatedly on my phone but I already had a feeling who it was.<p>

"Mihael! Thank god this is your number. Is it? For a second, I thought Linda gave me the wrong number but she didn't which is great-"

"Matsuda, why are you called me in the middle of class?" I whispered furiously. It was impossible not to recognize his goofy voice but at the same time, I was surprised he was calling.

"Cause I'm here to pick you up."

"What?"

"I'm parked in front of the school so hurry up before security comes." Beep. I looked down at the phone in disbelief. Was he actually serious?

With an apologetic smile, I walked into the classroom and up to Mr. Wammy. "That was my father telling me to leave early. Family emergency."

"Of course Mihael. Bring a pass tomorrow." I tried not to look suspicious as I walked out, making it to the front door of the school before I heard someone yell my name.

"Mello! Where are you going?" Misa called, running up to me. I almost slapped my forehead. Misa was still the hall monitor. Although she wouldn't give me detention, she certainly would want to know where I was going.

"Its a long story. But I'll tell you later when you come over for dinner." Before she could say another word, I was out the door, running down the stairs until I reached Matsuda's car. Matsuda beamed at me as I climbed in and promptly sped off before I was even remotely ready.

"Where are we going?" I asked, unable to keep the irritation out of my voice.

"To visit Matt of course. He asked me to bring you." I stared blankly at Matsuda, waiting for him to continue.

"Are you kidding me?" I asked, trying not to punch him. Matsuda frowned, looking confused as he shook his head no.

"So you just took me out of school to go visit someone I haven't spoken to in months who was arrested for drug possession?"

"Well...yeah." I sighed in frustration. Bless Matsuda for being so caring but he really needed to think things through. At least he always cared about his friends. "Don't be mad Mihael. Its really important that Matt talks to you. Honest." I tried to ignore that puppy dog look. I really tried.

"Fine Matsuda. I'm not mad." I relented, trying to convince myself that I wasn't. This wasn't such a big deal. I'd talk to Matt quickly, then leave and never think of it again.

"That's great. Cause we're here." Matsuda cheered as we pulled into...Matt's driveway?

"Umm Matsuda...I thought Matt was in jail."

"He was. But his dad talked to a judge and cut a major deal so Matt's under house arrest instead." My stomach dropped at the mention of Matt's dad. The man might have been a master of business but he was exactly like Mikami in every sense: egotistical, controlling, and mean. While Mikami liked to bully Matt, his father tried to mold him into the perfect son, easy to control but exactly like him.

"That's a little fast don't you think?" I asked as we climbed out of the car.

"Not really. Matt was arrested Friday night and his dad got a hold of a judge yesterday. They worked out a deal easily." Matsuda answered. Damn, Matt's dad got him out in almost four days and in house arrest? I didn't know what the bail would be to get Matt out or the amount of political power you had to had to cut a deal like that so soon. Matsuda pulled a key out of his pocket and undid the massive locks. "Its Mikami's key. He isn't here though so Matt said I could have it for now." We both stepped into the eerily silent home, slowly as if we were both being watched. Even though Matt had loved his dad, I had always dreaded seeing him - and I hoped today I would be able to avoid him entirely. He was just one of those people that life would be better without. My life in particular.

"So where is he?"

"Upstairs moping. And waiting for you of course." He said, giving me a conspiratorial wink. I frowned at his expression. Did he know Matt liked me? And why did he not have a problem with it? Matsuda was proudly straight and I had never thought of him as homophobic in any way but he didn't strike me as a full on supporter either. The thought was touching, considering he believed in God as much as I did.

"Then let's go see him."

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><p>"I've never been more disappointed in you in my entire life. If you think you're getting off easy because you're under house arrest then you've got another thing coming. You are going to work your ass off here and if anything whatsoever is amiss, your ass will be shipped off to rehab so fast you're head will spin. And if you misbehave while I'm around, then you're off to military school." Matsuda and I exchanged a glance. Just hearing this guy's voice was worrying enough so how would he react to us being here?<p>

Matsuda took my arm and yanked me into a side room just as Matt's door banged open and Matt's father stalked out the room. Matsuda, had some pretty good hearing since he saved us from that land mine. "You are not to leave the room until dinner. I will be working in my study so there will be _no_ disruptions." We waited carefully until his footsteps retreated, then snuck into Matt's room.

The entire place was so different I had to take a step back. No more whorish posters, magazines, or anything inappropriate. But that wasn't even the scary part. There was nothing cultural here whatsoever. The walls had been stripped of everything, his desk had been cleared of friends photos and trophies, his closet was pretty bare minus a few shirts and jeans and the only furniture left in the room was his bed and desk. It was like someone had stripped him of his personality completely, leaving him empty.

It made me sad.

Matt's father would do this whenever he was home. At least, I called them "visits" since he never stuck around for long. But I do remember Matt being his most miserable whenever his father was home because he always forced Matt through these erratic makeovers. There was always less time for life and more time for work. It was ridiculous.

And here was Matt sitting on his bed with his head buried in his hands, covered from head to toe in designer clothes despite having been in jail recently. Another perk from Matt's daddy dearest. Matt always had to look his best according to Mr. Jeevas: rich and powerful. Yet he had never looked more weak to me.

"Matt." Matt's head snapped up at the sound of my voice and I could see his red-rimmed eyes. The sad puppy dog look on his face was killing me - and dammit I didn't want this to happen!

"Mello! You're here." Matt sniffed, jumping up to rush over to me. "I didn't think you'd come." His arms wrapped around me in a bear hug yet his hold on me was gentle, as if he was afraid I'd push him away.

"You've been crying." I said, wincing as I realized what a dumb statement that had been. Matt laughed and pulled away from me, rubbing at his eyes.

"Yeah well, its been a shitty few months for me. Lost my best friend, got arrested for drug possession, chewed out by my dad, among other things I'd rather not go into detail about." Matt took a deep breath. "God I hate crying. I always feel so useless."

"Everybody cries Matt. It doesn't make you useless, just human. So get over it." Matt looked surprised for a second but then he smiled.

"Wow Mells. Blunt as always. Do you want to sit down?" He said, gesturing to his bed.

"No thanks I'll stand." I said trying not to sound tense. There was no way I was putting myself in a situation where he could potentially kiss me again. I may be a strong individual but when he kissed me...well it was hard to resist.

Matt shrugged and walked over to sit on his bed. Matsuda simply hung back and leaned against the wall, looking very interested on his cell phone. "So...why don't you start from the beginning?"

"The beginning...right. I guess that would be last Friday night. There was a party at some girls house. The entire school was practically there and everyone was getting pretty wasted." He said hurriedly, noticing my dark expression. "Just drinking you know? Although there were probably some people doing stuff. Anyways, I'm there with the football team and we're all just chilling and relaxing, talking with everyone when the cops come banging on the door. Everyone freaks out but it turns out they were only looking for yours truly."

"They asked me to walk outside because they had to ask me some questions and I told the guys I was leaving the party early which is why everyone found out about me getting arrested so late. They asked me if I go to Blackwood, if my locker number was 632, if I went to the locker room after school, just stupid questions. I was getting annoyed with them beating around the bush and asked them what they wanted and they said that they found three bags of cocaine in my locker."

"Holy shit." I muttered. Three bags. Three freaking bags.

"As soon as I tried to deny it, they took me to the station, saying by answering their questions I had "provided" them with enough evidence to prove me guilty. They put me in a holding cell and forced me to stay there keeping anyone from seeing me in case I tried to "change my story." Dad showed up on Monday though. He said he was meeting with a judge to make a deal with him and I'd be out soon enough. So here I am."

"Matt, you're an idiot. I mean, why would you have three bags of cocaine in your locker? And how would the police know to look there in the first place?"

"Someone broke into school Friday night and the cops came with dogs. And one of the dogs just so happened to go to my locker. And Mello, I don't do cocaine. I don't deal it, I don't smoke it, I don't even look at it. Whoever put that cocaine in my locker _framed_ me. And I have to find out as soon as possible so I don't get blamed."

"So you think the same person who broke into the school was the same person who planted the drugs in your locker?" Matt nodded, his face grave with worry. "That's pretty serious. I mean, someone would have to have some serious hate against you AND they'd have to know the school pretty well to put the cocaine in there and leave."

"Exactly. And since I can't go around finding out who did it, I need the best next thing." He said, smiling innocently at me. "Please?"

"Fine." I answered quickly. Just because I was mad at the guy didn't mean I wanted him to go to jail for something he didn't do. That is, if he was even telling the truth. "But I have to know two things before I help you."

Matt nodded eagerly. "You name it."

"One, I want the absolute truth from you. No lies, no bullshit to protect me or anyone, no hiding. Just the blunt truth. Because if by any chance you know this person and you're protecting them without realizing, I need to know." Matt nodded again.

"I swear."

"And you better be telling the truth when you say you didn't do it."

"Mello I swear I'm telling the truth. I know I don't have the best track record but I would NEVER hide cocaine in my locker."

"That brings me to my second request. I know you want to find the person who did this immediately but you seem a little rushed. Tell me why you're so insistent on me doing this so quickly." Matt grimaced and shook his head.

"Okay I'll tell you but don't get mad okay?"

"Whenever someone tells me not to get mad, I get downright pissed. So spit it out." Matt sighed, then rubbed his hands together.

"Okay. Before we left the prison, dad said that one of the judge's requirements was that I take a drug test to prove I hadn't taken any kind of drug. They also took a blood test to see if there was anything illegal in my system. The judge wanted the results checked somewhere local but my dad convinced him to send the results somewhere out of the country to his European specialists you know?"

"Let me guess. You were at the party and decided to try some pot." Matt winced and nodded. God why did I ever agree to this? "Of course you did."

"Mello I'm not an avid smoker! I swear. Its a once in awhile thing. Whenever I'm with friends and its a special occasion, I'll try it once. But if the drug test shows that I've had drugs-"

"Then you're screwed." I finished. Matt nodded and looked down at his hands, shame painting his face.

"I never would have done the pot if I had known things would turn out like this. I would have nothing to fear. But I was stupid and bored and I thought 'just once.' I'm sorry Mello. I really need your help."

The pain in his voice was hurting so I tried to stay on topic instead of his feelings. "How much time do I have?"

"Because they're international and my dad likes everything mailed in tip top condition, six days. Seven most. I'd try and finish this up in five, just to be safe."

"So what do I do when I find this person? Force a confession out of them and take them to prison?"

"Yes! I don't care who they are but I am not going to prison for this! They deserve to suffer, not me."

"That might not get you out of the clear though. They might think this person is covering for you...so we'll have to get them to take a drug test as well and show it to the cops. Or at least proof that they have cocaine with them and that they have contacts. That should be good enough."

"Sounds good. Which means you better hurry if you're gonna get all that done." Matt grinned. "I'll help to of course. I promise."

"Then I have a third request. No more smoking ANYTHING. I don't care how depressed you are, if you ever do drugs again, I'll kick your ass. If you feel like smoking, have some ice cream, call a friend, watch a soap opera. Whatever. Just don't do it." Matt smiled.

"Whatever you say Mello."

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><p>AN: Whew! That took awhile. I spent a few hours at least on this first chapter so again you're welcome. Do not despair Matt fan club because things will get better for Matt...maybe. I am an evil writer after all so you'll never know. ;) You'll just have to read to find out what happens.

My next update will hopefully be soon as long as I have Wifi. I already have chapter two ready but I'm going to wait a few days to update and edit it. And work on chapter three of course. :)

Btw, I meant to write this in **Virgin** but I forgot to. I just wanted to say how happy I am right now, because my writing idol on this site checked out my story and liked it! I mean, how often do you get the person who inspired you so much liking your story? The writer is **ShinigamiMailJeevas**. Reading Gami's stories inspired me to write to the best of my abilities and write realistically instead of doing the expected. If you're still reading this story Gami, just know how happy you've really made me and how much of an inspiration you are to me! :)

Thanks to LoveUntilWeBleed, ShinigamiMailJeevas, MelMat, DeathNotefangirl96, Nicole-chanxo, SyC0bEaR (See I didn't forget you), Veeletta, foreverunloved, Aim-For-The-Head, ABECrudele, wishingbell, Koii Fishie o.O, Nini97, rainbowlovertechno, ktmsx125, FlyingSolo365, and Black-heart-of-Rose for reviewing/alerting the final chapter of Virgin.


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: Okay so writing this was really hard for me because I had a really tough day. I'm trying to suck it up and as Mello would say 'stop pitying myself' and its a saying I try to live by every day. But today just feels like one of those days where Fate is personally trying to fuck with you. So enjoy this chapter my readers and please no harshness in reviews today. Lots of love to you all.

P.S. I AM IN SEARCH OF A TEMPORARY **BETA** FOR THIS STORY PLEASE DURING AUGUST-SEPTEMBER! SEND ME A MESSAGE IF YOU ARE INTERESTED AND I'LL SEE HOW WELL YOU DO! I WANT SOMEONE WHO CAN REALLY CATCH GRAMMATICAL AND SPELLING MISTAKES, SOMEONE WHOSE GOT A HAWK EYE AND SOMEONE WHO CAN DO THIS IN A FAIR AMOUNT OF TIME SO READERS AREN'T LET HANGING! AND IF I REALLY LIKE YOU, I'LL KEEP YOU AROUND FOR THE STORY. THANK YOU! :)

P.S.S. THIS IS SUPER INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT. IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THIS STORY IS IN PROGRESS, GO TO MY PROFILE AND SCROLL DOWN TO THE STORIES SECTION. ALSO LOOK BELOW IT FOR IMPORTANT UPDATING ANNOUNCEMENTS. SERIOUSLY. :D Thanks

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><p><strong>Day 1<strong>

I finally convinced myself to sit down on Matt's bed, making sure there was plenty of distance between us. I shuffled through my bag until I found a composition notebook and flipped to a blank page. "Okay, first order of business. You've told me the back story to your little problem so now we need a good set list of suspects. I want you to tell me EVERY SINGLE PERSON you know, who might have even the slightest grudge against you. I don't care if you stole their pencil or didn't say hi to them or whatever, I just need you to give me a basic set list. I also want to find out whether this was a direct attack on you or your locker was simply picked by chance. Also, I have a feeling the main suspect is male." Matt frowned.

"How would you know that? And how would you know there's more than one suspect?"

"Well for one, if this was a direct attack on you, then someone had to know where your locker was. Which would mean they would have to be around you enough to know where your locker is AND know your combination. Plus, its not uncommon for people to work in partners, in case you need a good alibi." Matt nodded, looking surprise.

"Damn. Didn't think of that."

"Now, this doesn't mean you should rule out female suspects either. For all we know, some girl you slept with and left hates you and could have wanted revenge and got a guy to break into your locker. There's also a big chance that this suspect or the partner are either on the football team or in your P.E. class. Which can rule out a good percentage of people."

"I guess so. But I have last period P.E. and we have the largest class in the school." Of course he did. Because my job couldn't have been any easier for me.

"Then we'll start from the football team first. Who do you know on the team that despises you more than anything?"

"Light Yagami." My hand froze over the paper. Okay, so Light probably did hate Matt more than anyone on the team but he wouldn't do something so over the top as revenge right? And besides, Light never messed with drugs. At least, I'm sure he didn't. "What's the problem?"

"Well...the thing is, this doesn't seem like something Light would do in an act of revenge-"

"I thought you said to write down anyone's name who hated me. Well, Light hates me. And you said no ruling out anyone." Damn, he's got me there. I wrote down Light's name but I put a star next to him to remind myself that he would never do something like this and I would defend him.

So why did I feel guilty writing his name anyways?

"Let's see. I don't think there's anyone else on the football team who really hates me except for Raye. He got pissed at me one day for looking at Naomi the wrong way. Both of them are in my P.E. class."

"Alright then. This is a good start. Now we have a suspect and a partner. Are you sure there's no one else on your football team who would hate you?" Matt shook his head no. I wrote down Raye's name under Light's and drew a line across so his name would be connected with Naomi's.

"For my P.E. classmates...god this is going to take awhile." Matt grunted.

"Well we don't have awhile so I'd hurry up."

"Okay okay. There's that Near kid, he's never really liked me. Pretty fucking weird too. But he's really smart Mello. Smart enough to manipulate people into doing what he wants. And probably smart enough to figure out my locker combination." Matt and I shared a silent look. We both knew the backlash of Near's photo fiasco last year that had hit a personal nerve with me. I hadn't even done a thing to the kid and yet he had proved so easily that he could screw with me if I tried to scorn him.

He was definitely a prime suspect. "I know he has also used Linda as a partner for his schemes so she's a possibility too." I wrote down both of their names and frowned when I noticed Matt staring at me. "What?"

"Didn't you use to be friends with Linda?"

"Yes. But that doesn't mean she might not be guilty. And she's already proved to me that she can't be trusted." Matt pressed his lips together but didn't say anything else about it. "Okay, so we've got Near and Linda. Anyone else."

"Well...there's L."

"No way Matt. Light is one thing but not L."

"He has a tape of me that he threatened to put online. He's capable of anything Mello. You know that."

"But he wouldn't do something as low as drugs. L's a tech genius, not a drug dealer." And neither is Light for that matter.

"Write his name just in case." Matt said exasperatedly. As uncomfortable as it was for me, I wrote his name down. That gnawing guilt in my stomach seemed to grow but I kept telling myself that I was helping out an old friend stay out of jail. Besides, I could easily prove their innocence.

"Why did you ask me to do this?" I asked suddenly. Matt looked surprised for a moment but then he smiled.

"Because I knew you wouldn't do something like this. You don't mess with drugs."

"Maybe that's what I wanted you to think. Which would make me the least likely suspect." I answered cryptically, which made Matt laugh. "Okay then, whose next?"

"Well there's Misa-"

"Stop right there Matty before I shove this pen in your eye." Matt raised an eye brow but held his hands up as if to protect himself. "Before you say another word, Misa was with _me_ Friday night at my house. She came over right after school. So no, she's not a suspect."

"Jeez Mells, I didn't know you were so overprotective of her." It was true. I was overprotective of Misa. But with good reason. People thought she was a stupid and self-absorbed idiot but she wasn't. People think that because they hear rumors about others that it automatically makes them bad, even if they've never spoken to each other. And I wasn't going to let anyone bully Misa anymore.

"Well I am. She deserves better than she gets. She's been through a lot."

"Of course she has. I can relate." Matt sighed. An uncomfortable silence filled the room and it took me a moment to realize that Matsuda had disappeared.

"Hey, where did Matsuda go? Won't he get in trouble if your dad catches him?" Matt shrugged.

"I don't think he cares much at this point. He's only considered that I stick to his 'schedule.'" I had no idea what schedule Matt was talking about but I didn't stay focused on it.

"Okay, who else is there?"

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><p>I stared down at the massive list of names before me, wondering how in the world I was going to find the suspect and convince them to give themselves up. It would be so easy if I just beat them up and that was what I had originally planned to do but I had had several hours to myself to think about my official game plan.<p>

And let's face it. Even if I provided my signature ass-kicking, no one would admit to putting three bags of cocaine in Matt's locker. If you had someone to blame for something you did, then why admit to the crime? Plus, it actually might have looked like Matt did it so the case against him was solid. Whether the suspect put the drugs in intentionally or Matt's locker was just the first place available, finding the truth in five days would be hard, even for me.

But I wasn't called a genius for nothing. No matter what, I would find the culprit and clear Matt's name. A knock on my door startled me from my thoughts and I quickly hid my notebook filled with names and picked up a book from my nightstand. "Come in."

My dad opened the door and smiled at me, holding up a plate of pasta mixed with peppers. "Brought you some dinner. I'm off to a seminar tonight so I thought I'd make you something special since you've been studying so hard." I grinned and took the plate gladly, giving him a tight one-armed hug.

"Thanks dad. By the way, is it okay if Misa comes over tonight?"

"Um, okay. But son, make sure not to do anything...inappropriate."

"Dad, I'm gay."

"I understand that Mihael but...bisexuality is another possibility and if this girl is more than just a friend-"

"Dad, please do not give me the sex talk. I'm not bi and I won't get any girls pregnant." My dad flushed with embarrassment and he nodded awkwardly.

"Alright then. Good that you know. Have a good night." He said quickly before shutting the door. I sat on my bed with a sigh. My dad was a great guy but he really worried over little things too much.

A half hour later, Misa sat across from me, picking through the remains of my dad's dinner. "Mihael, if your dad wasn't married, I'd take him for myself. His cooking is delicious!"

"Dad's not married." I said, suddenly feeling awkward. I didn't usually talk about my past, even if Misa and I were so close. Misa froze and immediately blushed.

"Sorry Mihael. Misa didn't mean to-I mean, I didn't mean to-"

"Its okay Misa. Look, I wanted to tell you what happened earlier, because a lots happened since I left school." I pulled out my notebook and handed her the suspect list. It took me a good twenty minutes to explain the entire story, starting from Matsuda calling me in class and ending with me leaving Matt's house with tons of theories and ideas but no one to pin it on. As I told the story, Misa's eyes only seemed to get bigger and by the end, her face resembled an owl in a catatonic state.

"Whoa. That's just...whoa."

"I know."

"Why would you promise him you'd help in the first place?" The tone of insincerity of her voice surprised me.

"Well why wouldn't I?"

"Mello, Matt's a jerk. After all he's ever done to you and our friends, its all just so cruel. L has told me so much that he has done and I don't believe that he deserves your sympathy." It surprised me that L had spoken to Misa about his dislike for Matt but at the same time it made sense. Light wouldn't talk about it and neither would I but Misa was a willing candidate for L's tirades.

"Look Misa, I've taught myself to let go of things that are no longer a bother to me. Yes, I can never trust Matt again but that doesn't mean that he deserves to go to jail for something he didn't do. And I'm the one person he knows that can help him." Misa's lips narrowed but she otherwise nodded in agreement.

"So you're going to play detective then? Where are you going to start?"

"Well, if you watch criminal shows as much as I do, its usually the most obvious yet unsuspecting person there is. If all the suspects come up clean, then that would mean that this wasn't a direct attack on Matt and that it was just by chance so Matt would be screwed."

"Wow Mells. You're good at this. Maybe you should be a real life detective!" Misa said enthusiastically.

"Misa, I'm just starting off. Besides, I don't think I have what it takes." I said, although the thought did interest me. Out of any career I wanted, doing something to get rid of the crime world was definitely the most interesting. "Anyways, before I actually talk to anyone, I'm going to do some snooping." Misa raised an eyebrow.

"What kind of snooping?"

* * *

><p>AN: So I know a few of you are thinking who could have possibly done this to Matt. Although the drama has mostly ended from Virgin, there are new problems are arising. Thank god Matt's got Mello to help out. Below me is the full suspect list and even though some people haven't been fully introduced, you will be seeing them in future chapters.

**Suspects  
><strong>

*Light Yagami

Raye Penber - Naomi Misora

"Near" - Linda

Lawliet Ryuzaki

Aiber Morrello - Wedy Kennwood

Taro Kagami

Stephen G. Loud - Halle L. Bullook.

Lind Tailor

Kiyomi Takada

So who do you think did it? Whoever figures it out will be my official L AND I'll reveal spoilers for the sequel of this...remember how much I love twists. Now, if you can figure out the reason behind the suspect(s) who did this, I will personally send you each chapter of the sequel BEFORE its published.

**ADVICE: **Now, before you all go psychotic with guessing, there's a lot more to be revealed so my suggestion is to PAY attention first and let everything flow. Get to know all the characters and suspects first BEFORE you make assumptions. Because you never know what could happen... ;) & my readers know how I love my twists. If anyone thought the twist in the first story was bad, you are going to be reeling when you know the truth...

Thanks to SyC0bEaR, tealeyedmoon69, DeathNotefangirl96, superstrawberryL, FlyingSolo365, MelMat, ktmsx125, xMisaki-chan, TamiLawliet, ShinigamiMailJeevas, mellofangirl, LoveUntilWeBleed, iatethecookie, ILuvYa44, OhMyGeePinkSucksAss, 10-iz4, VampirePrinssess, wishingbell, Cris UchihaxSasuNaru Freak, Natasha050, Just-A-LittleBoyShy, Nicole-chanxo, CrayolaNostalgia.x, Molly2342, ying-yang love, BloodyFacesAndBlackHearts, MakenshiCrona, MattyBoy21, ABECrudele, NinjaPrincessHaruka, for reviewing/alerting my story.

P.S. There are no O.C. in this story so all the characters listed in this story are from the manga/anime. Matt's father and Mello's father are characters but I'll change their last names and later reveal who they are.


	3. Chapter 2

A/N: Woot, super long chapter for you. Ten pages long. A lot going on. YOU'RE WELCOME. :)

P.S. THIS STORY IS A SEQUEL OF THE STORY VIRGIN. DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT READ VIRGIN, OTHERWISE YOU WILL BE VERY CONFUSED!

P.S.S. READ THIS IF YOU WANT TO BE MY TEMPORARY BETA So...I when I asked for a temporary beta, I thought I would only get one or two people. As it turns out, I got seven people who wanted to be my BETA, although only four of you messaged me like I asked. Not that it matters much, I don't mind. The only thing is, I do not know how to choose between all of you. It really made me so happy that everyone wanted to help and my original plan was to have to send an excerpt from something I've written poorly to see how well you can catch all of my carefully hidden mistakes. So I'm going to do the same to all of you so I can have some decent proof of how well you can edit. And if you have ever been a beta to another story before, I would like to know for reference reasons - except from darksilvershadows of course, since I know what you've done ;)

Btw, I might actually be able to finish this story before my Canadian trip is over so I might actually need the beta for the third - and final story - if that's okay with everyone.

Here's is the list of all the people who wanted to be my beta: _tealeyedmoon69, darksilvershadows, Nicole-chanxo, NinjaPrincessHaruka, Saffylaffy, foreverunloved, and Angelic-Spirals._

**If you all still want a fair shot, let me know ASAP and I will start on the excerpt for you all immediately. I'm not just looking for the person who can send it back to me the fastest but the person who can find every mistake and be dependable and honest. :)  
><strong>

Thanks and enjoy :)

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><p><strong>Day 2 Pt.1<strong>

Misa couldn't have looked more guilty if she tried. She kept tapping her pen on her desk and looking at the clock with obvious fear. I would have been hurrying to calm her but our teacher Roger had the biggest stick up his ass and handed out detention slips like he breathed air.

So my furious stares failed to capture her attention. Great. But this didn't mean my illegal means of getting some dirt were going to fail. I checked my phone once more to make sure Matsuda was still on with the plan. No new texts. A good sign.

"Everyone open up your books to page-" The fire bell trilled loudly enough to make a few people wince. I grinned at Misa and stood up with her, making sure we were strictly in the middle of the mass of students running from the door.

"Everyone please go to the front building immediately! There's a fire in the locker room!" A teacher shrieked. While everyone rushed to the front of the building, I pulled Misa into the boy's bathroom. We waited a few long minutes before the sound of footsteps diminished and we stepped outside.

"It worked! Unbelievable!" Misa cheered, jumping up and down. "Oh you are evil Mello. An evil genius."

"The best. Come on, Matsuda will be waiting for us by the lockers so we better hurry." True to his word, Matsuda was waiting patiently for us in the boys locker room. Misa stood by the door to stand watch while Matsuda and I walked to the rows and rows of lockers.

"We've got about a good twenty minutes to go through each of these lockers so lets hurry." Matsuda handed me the list of every suspect's locker and we started on the one closest to Matt's: Raye Penber.

"Wouldn't it make more sense to check the school lockers for evidence?" Matsuda asked, scratching his head.

"It would but we'd be in direct view of the school cameras. To check those lockers out, we'd need to disable the cameras and sneak in after school. Which is harder than it looks." It would be easier if we had Matt to work on the system but he was too far to be of any help and as far as I knew, his father kept him from having any technology whatsoever.

From what I knew of Raye, he was smart, but cocky. He flaunted himself with too much ease and therefore made himself capable of obvious mistakes. Such as his locker combination. Most of the members of the football team were not the brightest tools in the shed and would most likely use their birth dates as combinations. But Raye would brag about a much more personal and important set of numbers.

His anniversary date. Too easy. With a little Facebook snooping, he had plainly left his most obvious combination open to me. 10-03-06. The lock popped open with ease. Raye Penber, you may be smart but you make mistakes...and I'm smart enough to find them.

"Wow Mihael. You sure are smart." Matsuda gasped. We popped open the locker. I shuffled through the old gym clothes and found nothing special...except for a tiny silver key in the corner of his locker. I picked it up and inspected it carefully.

"There's an inscription on the back but I can't see it underneath the smoke. Pop out the flashlight." Matsuda complied and held the flashlight over the key. _T.C.C. _"Well isn't this interesting...I'm sure Naomi wouldn't be too happy to find the initials of another girl in his locker." Matsuda raised his eye brows.

"Are you sure we should take it?"

"Of course. He won't risk his close friends or Naomi knowing that this key is missing if its seriously important. We find out what _T.C.C. _means and if it has nothing to do with Matt, then maybe we can use it as bribery for info." It surprised me how devious I could really be sometimes. "Let's keep searching."

Breaking into Light and L's locker was much more challenging. Since they loved one-uping each other, they would no doubt come up with the hardest combinations possible. Unfortunately, we didn't have the time to find out each combination and still search them so that's why I kept Matsuda here with me.

"I'm really going to regret this. Go ahead Matsuda." Matsuda nodded and flexed his arms. I took a step back as he slammed his fist into the corner of Light's locker, then pulled it forward, leaving me enough space to shove my arm through. With the flashlight, I found nothing out of the ordinary. "Nothing here. Try and fix the corner before we move on."

Matsuda bent the metal back but it was obvious there was a dent in it. We moved onto L's locker next. Again, the same results as Light's.

"Are you sure we should do this?" I looked at Matsuda, almost surprised by his hesitation.

"Well why not? Near's one of the suspects."

"Yeah...but he's creepy Mihael. And if he finds out we did this, he'll make our life a living hell." Too late.

"He won't find out Matsuda. Trust me." Matsuda frowned, looking unsure. "Just hurry up okay? We're running out of time." Matsuda punched the side of the locker and yanked it open. And to my absolute surprise, there was nothing inside. "What the..."

"He supposedly has a medical condition so he doesn't work out." Matsuda shrugged. "What now?" Near thought he was pretty clever. Why have a P.E. locker when you had a "medical condition"? What could you possibly gain. I shoved my sleeves up as high as they would go, then carefully traced the bottom of the locker. Nothing. I carefully traced the sides of each locker wall. Still nothing.

"Matsuda, I want you to lift the corner further so I can reach the ceiling of the locker."

"What? Are you crazy? I think I can hear the fire trucks outside."

"Just do it!" Matsuda began to yank on the corner and I struggled to reach the top. I traced the ceiling carefully and grinned when I felt something scratched into the top. "Hand me the flashlight." I said, squinting as I read the numbers_ 232._

"We'll have to give up on the other lockers for now. Otherwise we'll look too suspicious. Now Matsuda, bang up as many lockers as you can in five minutes. Then we're off."

"But why would we-"

"So we can keep people fro noticing a pattern. Especially the suspect."

* * *

><p>We pulled up to Matt's house about twenty minutes later. The firemen closed school for the rest of the day so I figured Matt would want to know what we found. Matsuda pulled out his spare key but froze when we heard yelling.<p>

"Wh-who is that?" Misa whispered. Matsuda and I shared a look. It sounded like Matt's dad. And who else would he possibly be yelling at?

"We need to see if we can sneak in without getting Matt into trouble." I said. "I'll go in first and check." It was better for me to go anyway since I had come prepared. If his dad saw me, I had Matt's schoolwork to drop off as an explainable excuse.

"Dad, please just listen to me-"

"Matthew be silent!" I froze at the seriousness at tone and quietly shut the door behind me as the yelling started up again. No need to get Misa and Matsuda in trouble. "You will stick to my schedule and you will behave like a proper young man instead of those hooligan scum at your school." Every nerve inside of me was grinding with anger. Those hooligan scum he was talking about just so happened to be all the people who weren't rich including myself. "Now you better start treating me with respect Matthew. Do you understand?"

There was a long moment of silence, followed by a quiet "Yes sir." I tensed as I heard the sound of shoes approaching and I dived behind the staircase. Matt's father came into view but he was thankfully heading in the opposite direction. I didn't dare breathe until I had heard his door close and lock.

I carefully ran to the door and opened it, motioning for Misa and Matsuda to come in and go upstairs. They quickly ran up the stairs and I thanked Misa for trading in boots for flats. Instead of following them though, I traveled through the massive house to where I had heard the yelling coming from.

It turned out to be a miniature gym decked with fancy workout equipment. I frowned, walking into the room I was one hundred percent sure Matt had been in. I mean, I would have heard him leave right? I was about to leave the room when I heard a door behind me.

"Mello? Is that you?" It was Matt.

"Yes Matt of course its-" Every rational thought in my heard evaporated as Matt walked out of the smaller room, buck naked with a towel around his head. My face burned with shame and embarrassment as he merely raised an eye brow, slowly tucking the towel - which was WAY too small - around his waist.

"Liked what you saw?" He said with a wink.

"Of course not." I said, although my burning cheeks told another story. "You shouldn't be walking around naked! Wasn't your dad just here?"

"Yeah he was, but I obviously wasn't going to flash him. When he left, I _thought_ I was alone until you walked in all innocent and cute." My eyes narrowed at the word 'cute' but he held a hand up. "Chill Mells. I get your boundaries, I get you need space. Its cool."

"Yeah well, just remember who saw you crying like a baby the other day. You're not as manly as you think you are." Instead of frowning or looking insulted like I had hoped, his annoying smirk widened.

"And I seem to remember you saying its only human to cry sometimes. Just like its human to blush when you see someone incredibly attractive." He was baiting me of course. Well alright Matt, I'll bite.

"You must be confusing attraction with disgust. I am NOT attracted to you."

"The look in your eyes does not say disgust Mells. It screams _lust_." I wanted to laugh at the statement. Me? Lustful for _him_? After everything he's done? Ridiculous!

"You need to get your eyes checked Matt because my eyes aren't saying lust, they're saying murder."

"Whatever you say Mells." Matt said, sounding cockier than ever.

"You seem in a good mood for someone who could potentially be going to jail." The humor disappeared from Matt's expression and he suddenly looked drained.

"I trust you Mells. You won't let me down." He offered me a weak smile. "Besides, I'm good at putting on a brave face. Years of practice." This was getting far too personal for me. I promised to help Matt's situation, not share feelings. I had forced myself to quit feeling sorry for myself and others when they didn't deserve it and Matt had made a lot of stupid choices...

"I promised I'd help and I keep my promises. So lets go upstairs and go over what I found out today. Plus I have some teching for you to do."

"Teching? But my dad took all my equipment." Matt said miserably. "I have no life..."

"Matt you've always had no life. But buck up, you'll be a computer geek once more." Matt grinned again and punched my arm playfully. With sudden horror, I realized I had just tried to make Matt feel better. Since when had I become so nice?

I made sure to walk far enough away from him so there was distance between us as we climbed the stairs to his room. Misa's eyes widened when she saw me and Matsuda covered his eyes. "The horror! Dear god man, put some clothes on! Get out! Go away!"

"This is my room dumb ass. Why are you two here anyways?" Matt asked, eyeing Misa suspiciously.

"They're helping with my investigation." I said, rushing over to Misa, to cover her eyes. "Hurry up and change before you pervert her mind too." Matt only smiled, whipping his towel off as Matsuda buried his head into a pillow. I turned to Misa, who had her own hands over mine.

"Misa is not happy." She muttered. "This is not at all what I thought it would be."

"No kidding. But don't worry, we'll get down to business soon." I hope.

"Alright I'm decent." I looked over at Matt, who had on a dark pair of jeans that clung to his legs. Looks like his father had gone through with the makeover because those jeans were probably more expensive than my entire wardrobe put together.

"Why exactly was Matt naked?" Misa asked suspiciously as I sat down comfortably next to her.

"Finished a long and grueling workout session with coach tough ass and I needed a shower. And then Mello walked in of course." Matt said with a wicked grin. Misa and Matsuda both looked at me in shock and my cheeks immediately flared.

"Dammit Matt that's your own fault. Who walks out of a bathroom with a towel on his head?" I asked in exasperation. Matt laughed at my embarrassment as did Matsuda but Misa was eyeing Matt angrily.

"Me, because I'm special. Now, tell me what you found out and what you need from me."

"Well for starters, I don't want you dripping all over my computer." I said, hugging my back pack to my chest. Matt shrugged, scrubbing his head with the towel quickly until it was mildly dry. Random strands stood up at odd angles on his scalp and he would have looked so much like his younger self if he still had his goggles.

"Fill me in on what happened."

"Nothing terribly important. Matsuda started a fake fire in the boys locker room, we broke into some of the suspects lockers, no biggie."

"How did you get their locker combinations?" Matt asked suspiciously. "And whose lockers did you check out?"

"I didn't get locker combinations. I had Matsuda break into them." Matt's eyes bugged open.

"You what?"

"Relax, no one's going to suspect anything, because I had Matsuda mess up a lot of lockers too."

"Yes Mello, that makes it perfectly alright then. As long as you messed up everyone's lockers, then everything's alright." Matt huffed, climbing over Matsuda so he could lean against his wall and put his feet on my lap.

"Do not question my methods Matt. I'm the one helping your ass." I said, shoving his feet off of me. "Now, we managed to break into Raye's, Light's, L's, and Near's locker. Nothing suspicious in Light and L's locker space but we found a key in Raye's locker and a code in Near's. That's all we had time for but I'm planning on grilling the others tomorrow and the next day."

"Let me see the key you got from Raye." I pulled the key out of my pocket and handed it to him. "I bet its the initials of a girl. He could be cheating on her with someone who doesn't go to this school and we could blackmail him-"

"Its not a girl's key." Matt said, carefully scrutinizing the key. "Its for another locker. A locker belong to The Chaos Club." I stared at Matt, dumbfounded for a second before snapping out of it.

"I...wait what?"

"The Chaos Club. Everyone who works there gets this kind of key for their...personal belongings. If he had anything to do with the drugs, then he could be hiding important contacts in that locker."

"Then we'll check it out tonight." I said. Matt only smiled, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Mello, I don't think the club is really your scene. Maybe you should just send Matsuda."

"Yeah I wanna go!" Matsuda said happily.

"Matt, I'm not afraid to go to some stupid club. Why would you think that?"

"Because I almost ended up working there." Matt said. "But if you can handle the drinking and smoking in there, be my guest."

"I will and can. Moving on. Tomorrow, I can talk to Wedy in science, see if I can get her as a partner and ask questions. She does bad under pressure so I'll crack her like a nut if she's lying. Kiyomi's had an obsession with Light since the ninth grade but he's never given her the time of day. If I can just trick her into thinking he's crazy about her too, then I can definitely get some info if she has anything."

"But Mello, she might not talk."

"Matt, people do crazy things when they're in love. They also say things they shouldn't be doing when they're obsessed. Need I say more?" Matt blushed, but otherwise nodded. "I still have absolutely no way how to get to Halle. She's zipped up tight and even though she's friends with Stephen, she also hangs out with Near. In fact both of them do."

"It sounds to me that Near is connected to a lot of the suspects. Even if he has nothing to do with this, he will know. He has some high up connections in school and he makes it his personal business to know."

"Near is so creepy." Misa shuddered. "But Matt's right. Near will probably know who did it. He considers himself too good to get his hands dirty so he'd get someone else to do it."

"So what do we do now?" Matsuda asked.

"We make another list. Who out of all the suspects has a connection with Near and at one point or another been manipulated by him?" Maybe Near decided to some of his own blackmailing, which honestly wouldn't surprise me.

I opened my computer and opened a page, typing Near's name at the top. We all agreed that Linda's name would go right under his, since she was the closest to him and she had been caught doing his schemes before. We wrote down Stephen's name since Stephen had been close with Near since a young age and Halle, who was close with Stephen and therefore, with Near. To my surprise, Near had also associated himself with Taro and from what I heard, the kid was desperate to be popular, so no one would bully him. Desperate enough to do something stupid to make it on top.

"I can figure out on my own if Light and L are involved. It won't be hard. The only people we're having trouble with here are Aiber, Lind, and Naomi. And maybe Raye if there's nothing in his locker."

"I can speak with Naomi! She is one of my old friends and we still talk from time to time." Misa said excitedly. "Although maybe you should prepare me on what to ask."

"For sure Misa." I said smiling, giving Matt a look.

"Oh yeah. Thank you Misa." Matt said, giving her a smile which she pointedly ignored.

"Then there's just Aiber and Lind. And no offense Matt but I'd rather avoid Lind."

"Aww, is the actual Mello scared of someone?" Matt teased.

"Matt, do you even know how Lind went to jail? _He_ stabbed a teacher."

"And they let him back into a high school?" Matt asked incredulously.

"Apparently he's taking anger management." I answered. "If I have to talk to him I must, but I'll need an angle. If anything, I'll ask him if he's got any drugs, watch to see if he's lying, ease him into a conversation about you and see what happens."

"What about Aiber?" Matsuda asked. "Maybe we can beat him up and see if he knows anything. I can take him."

"Yes Matsuda I'm sure you can. But that's okay. We'll see if we can find the person behind this so we won't have to talk to Aiber probably."

"Okay, you have your game plan then for tomorrow then. I have to get back to work so what to do you need from me?" Misa and I shared a look. This must have to do with his mysterious schedule. I would have to make this quick.

"We need you to hack into Near's computer. You can keep my computer for the time being and I'll come back tomorrow to see what you've found. Your dad won't find it right?" Matt nodded and took my laptop carefully, placing it on his lap. "Search for whatever you can find. Also, I found a really important code at the top of his locker. See if its anything important."

"Will do. You three better get out of here before my dad hears you." Matt said, looking at his door nervously.

"You got it. Misa, can you come to my house so we can plan out tonight and what you have to say tomorrow? And Matsuda, pick me up around eight okay? That way we'll have a good hour and a half to get there and snoop." I stood up and threw my bag over my shoulder. "We've got a lot to get done everybody so lets do this quick and get on with our lives."

* * *

><p>AN: WOOO. That chapter was absolute shit for me. Seriously, it took me so long to write its not even funny. I've been typing this one chapter for three days now and its taken way too long. But I'm done. FINALLY. THANKFULLY. BLISSFULLY.

The next two or three chapters will reveal a lot more information for you all so you'll be able to start guessing. You can start guessing now if you want but wait till I introduce everybody and get things started. Remember, whoever gets it right is my official L. Whoever finds out the reason WHY gets chapters of the sequel personally sent to them before they are even published. :O

P.S. If you checked out profile like I said last chapter, you will see the note I left for my readers about this story AND the name for the third story. I'm not sure if its going to be the official name for sure but its the name I'm using for now. You'll also see future stories I'm planning and a few of them are Death Note stories too...SO CHECK OUT MY PROFILE IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT OTHER STORIES I HAVE PLANNED AND UPDATES I'M PLANNING.

P.S.S. THAT LITTLE MATT'S NAKED BIT WAS THANKS TO MY BROTHER FOR WALKING AROUND WITH A TOWEL ON HIS HEAD INSTEAD OF HIS BODY WHICH I STILL FIND VERY DISGUSTING. YOU CAN THANK HIM FOR THAT.

Thanks for ShinigamiMailJeevas, BloodyFacesAndBlackHearts, MelMat, VampirePrinssess, OhMyGeePinkSucksAss, SyC0bEaR, tealeyedmoon69, RitsuHiroki, Saffylaffy, OrangyGoodness, Unicorn of Awesomeness, wishingbell, Black-heart-of-Rose, Angelic-Spirals, koneko-chan3, Cris UchihaxSasuNaru Freak, and BehindHappyFaces for reviewing/alerting.


	4. Chapter 3

A/N: Stand back. I'm about to drop some bombs. ;)

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><p><strong>Day 2 Pt. 2<strong>

I tapped my fingers nervously on the dashboard, asking myself how things had gone from successful to god awful in so little time.

"Can you stop that tapping please and tell me why on Earth we're going to a club on a Wednesday night?" L asked, his tone more curious than annoyed. I sighed, trying to find a good excuse that wouldn't make me seem suspicious.

"I thought we could hang out...you know, have some fun." I said, giving him a smile. "See if we can get any drinks."

"Haha Mello very funny." L muttered, rolling his eyes. "You know I'm trying to stop drinking."

"That's what they all say until they end up in a bar buying a drink for their best friend." At least the attention was off of me. Thank god.

"So we are going to an overage club then." L asked as we pulled into the parking lot of the Chaos Club. I rubbed the outline of the key in my pocket. It was now or never. All I had to do was find out what the key belonged to, see if Raye was doing anything suspicious, and get out. Maybe I could even question L a little.

"Yes. Up for a little fun?" I asked, giving L a devilish grin.

"Depends what fun you're talking about." He said, but he smiled as we both climbed out of the car. The bouncer hardly gave us a second glance as we ushered in quickly and I exhaled quietly. The lights were practically blinding as we stepped inside but we adjusted almost instantly. The room was pounding with techno music and people were dancing wildly in front of a stage. I frowned trying to see what everyone was staring at. A woman on the stage was dressed in a tight fit uniform and promptly wrapped her long body around the pole as people cheered around her.

I gaped at the sight. Matt...that dirty stinking bastard Matt had sent us to a _strip_ club. The things I will do to him tomorrow-

"Mello, is there some horribly dark secret passion you are hiding in the closet because if there is, I think Light is more equipped for this sort of thing." L muttered, looking awkward. That's right, I had brought L here. Damn Matsuda getting grounded at the last second and damn Misa's mom for forcing her to come home. I mean, yes its a school night and thankfully I had prepped her on what she had to say to Naomi but having L here with me because he was my only ride...yeah not the best solution.

"Okay, so I didn't know this was a strip club. A..._friend_ told me about it." Yes, said _friend_ was going to have his head shoved in a fryer when I saw him tomorrow. "But ugh, we can do other stuff. Did you bring your fake ID?"

"You know I never go anywhere without it." He commented lightly, patting his pocket. "But I assume you won't be having anything to drink."

You know, I pride myself on my good behavior. Okay, sometimes good behavior. I'm not into the typical pop culture like everyone else and I know I don't need anything to force myself to have a good time. But the way he said _assume_ just set me off. I know what people think of me. They think I'm a goody two shoes with a bad personality, that I can't take risks or do anything dangerous.

Well screw them. I set a fake fire at school and broke into several lockers. And if I could do that, I could afford _one_ drink. Just one though.

"Well _you_ assumed wrong. I would love a drink as long as your paying." I answered smoothly. The smallest part of me whispered that this was a bad idea but I shut that part up. If I could make L comfortable enough so he might just "spill" what he may or may not know about Matt, I'd be killing two birds with one stone tonight.

"Good thing I made you your own ID." L answered, handing me one. I stared at it with surprise. Damn, I didn't think of that. I mean, its miracle they let us in without asking our age but they would never give us a drink without ID.

"When did you make this?" I asked as we made our to the bar.

"Awhile ago. I keep extras for everyone in case of emergencies. They come in handy at place like these." He answered, with a smile. For some reason, that put me on edge. I couldn't help but think back to the night when L showed up to Matt's party wasted. He had sobered up pretty quickly but I never remembered asking him why he drank. And honestly, it sounded like he had gone out partying way more than I had realized, which was pretty strange considering his personality.

"So you do this a lot?" I asked, trying to sound nonchalant. L can sniff out bs from a mile away so if he even thought I was up to something, he would find out.

"Why do you want to know?" He asked, his eyes silently bracing me for a challenge. I knew it, L had been drinking for awhile. The question was why.

"Because you're my best friend." I said with an overly cheerful voice. "Who happens to be paying for my first drink." L laughed, the tension gone from his face.

"Alright then Mells. What's your poison?" The bartender came up to us and waited expectantly. Crap. I didn't think much about this detail.

"Whatever you are having." I answered, trying to calm my nerves. I didn't want to end up too drunk to go to the locker and I didn't know how much L would order.

"We'll start off with two screwdrivers and a chocolate cake shot to finish." He said with a devilish grin. Okay, this side of L was definitely freaking me out. Maybe I should have called Light instead...

"We do have school tomorrow." I muttered as soon as the bar tender was out of ear shot. "You remember the last time you came to school with a hangover?"

"Yes, I swore I'd never do it again." L mused. "But this is a special occasion, isn't it?" The bar tender dropped the two drinks in front of us and walked over to other waiting customers. Inwardly, I cursed myself. Of course L suspected something. He was playing along the entire time, just waiting to see if he could get something out of me.

This was the cold calculating side of L that I disliked so much. The side where he distanced himself from other people and did whatever it took to know every angle of every game he played. It reminded me too much of Mikami, that goddamn bastard.

"Did you put the drugs in Matt's locker?" I asked him bluntly, facing him with a critical eye. The smile disappeared from L's face, only to be replaced with surprise. Definitely not what I was expecting.

"So that's what this is about." L said, taking a long gulp of his drink. "Damn. And I was seriously hoping you had just taken me here for a drink. Thought you'd outright deny my suspicions. You're helping him out aren't you?" Its like he can read my freaking mind.

"Yes." I answered, forcing myself to be honest. L was anything but a liar so he would most likely tell me the truth if I did the same. "He says he didn't do it. He thinks he was framed." I said, picking at the edge of my glass.

"And you believe him."

"Yes."

"That didn't sound too convincing." L said, his eyes zeroing in on me. "You really think he didn't do it or are you trying to convince yourself he didn't?"

"Both. Because...because he seemed so broken up about it. And there are a couple of people who would probably have done it because they don't like him."

"And I'm one of the suspects." Right on the dot. Damn, he was good at reading me.

"Yes again." I muttered, taking a tentative sip of the vodka. "Did you do it?"

"No."

"Where were you Friday night?"

"Nowhere important." He answered, finishing off his glass. Of course he had to act suspicious.

"L, I have a suspect list of thirteen people and only a few days to find the perpetrator. I don't give a crap what you were doing on Friday night as long as it doesn't include getting other people put in prison. I am trying to eliminate some suspects so can you please help me out here?"

"Fine. But you can't tell anyone." He said, looking almost shy for a second. "I...I was at Misa's house."

"Now I know you're lying to me. Misa was at my house." I said, fury rising up in me. How dare he try and make up an alibi in my face. Did he think I was an idiot?

"I'm not lying Mello. I was waiting for Misa...at her house." He answered, looking defensive. "I waited there for awhile because..." Holy shit.

"Oh." I said, trying not to sound tense. "You...you like Misa." L nodded, looking uncomfortable.

"I tutored her over the summer to help her with her grades...she's actually not as stupid as people thinks she is. At least, she's willing to try to learn which is more than I can say about most people. And she's cute too."

"Well..." I started, feeling unbelievably awkward. L wasn't gay, I knew that but I'd never ever heard him talk about a crush. And a part of me was angry that he had to end up liking Misa, since I didn't want her to get hurt. "Have you...have you asked her out yet?"

"I was going to Friday. Her mom said I could wait since she was at your house. But when she came back, I got cold feet." He admitted. "I've never had a girlfriend Mello, so this is all very new to me. Misa for some reason likes being around me so its not hard to talk to her." This was unbelievable. Seriously unbelievable. L liked Misa. A lot. He actually liked something that wasn't technology.

"Well you'll have to do it eventually. You don't want to spend your entire senior year wondering what if." I said seriously, although a part of me was secretly happy she hadn't been asked yet. I needed to grill her first, as soon as I got home.

"You believe me then."

"Of course. Congratulations L, you are officially the first person off my suspect list. Twelve more to go." L laughed at my expression and we clinked our glasses.

"Look, you know I don't like Matt but I want to help you out. I can find out something for you if you want. If anyone knows anything, its probably Near." Near again. For some reason, his name really sticks out to me. He would definitely know something about this.

"That would be great. And to be honest, I can use your help now for something."

"You name it."

* * *

><p>"This is a terrible idea." L muttered, his eyes boring holes into my head.<p>

"This is a wonderful idea." My only idea actually. And it had better work.

"Can't we switch roles? I'll be happy to search his locker for you-"

"Here comes the owner. Now's you're chance. Go!" I shoved him towards the club owner and watched with amusement as he straightened up to speak to the man.

"Hello sir. I was wondering if I could have a job application here...as a waiter." L outright refused to say stripper and honestly, i couldn't help but agree with him. Hell, it was hard to imagine Matt being a stripper here. Then again...

The man eyed L suspiciously and held out his meaty hand. "Let me see some ID." L handed him his ID and the man nodded with appreciation, breaking out into a smile. "Well Mr. Ryuzaki, my name is Mr. Aizawa. If you will just follow me to the back, I can get you that application." L motioned me to follow him as we entered a hallway. I hid behind a pillar until their voices disappeared and then began my search for the locker room.

I smiled at the sign that directed me to the lockers and with my luck, no one was in there. I took out the key that said _T.C.C._ and put it into the first lock. Which didn't open. And neither did the second. Or the third. Or the fourth. With rising nerves, I wondered idly if Matt had been wrong or he was just screwing with me.

"What do you think you are doing here?" I turned in shock, raising an eye brow at the girl wearing a stripper's police uniform.

"I'm looking for Raye Penber's locker."

"There is no Raye Penber here." She said, her eyes hardening like steel.

"What about a Raye?"

"Of course not." She was lying. I could see right through her. She was obviously protecting him but I had to make her tell me the truth.

"Look, Raye is a suspect in a drug bust and I need proof that he wasn't at the scene of the crime, otherwise he can go to jail. Now you can either tell me which locker this key belongs to or get out of my way." The girl's eyes widened and she covered her mouth.

"Oh my god...no. Raye would never do drugs. He's a good person." She said, her eyes widening in fear. "Just hold on. Its not a key to his locker, its to a safety deposit box. I can show you papers that he was here, until one o'clock. He said he wanted to go to a party but it had already ended by the time he was done." She rushed off hurriedly and I smiled to myself. This was easier than I thought.

"What's your name?" I asked when she came back. The girl honestly look like she was about to have a breakdown and I honestly didn't want to deal with that.

"Sanami. Here, hand me the key." She took the key from me and put it into the box. I peered over her shoulder to look inside. A giant pile of money was stacked there neatly. Damn, he was loaded. She took out a packet and handed it to me. "This here, shows that he was dancing with us till one. He even left late, you can look at the camera footage." This would probably mean that Raye didn't frame Matt. This place was in the opposite direction of the party so by the time he would have gotten to the school, Matt would already have been taken to the jail. All I needed to do was get the accurate times from Matt and I could take his name - and probably Naomi's - off the list.

"Well that certainly proves enough. Can I see the rest of the box?" She nodded, holding it out to me. I searched through the piles of money, seeing nothing suspicious. Until I saw the box. With a frown I picked it up and opened it.

"Holy..."

"Its for his girlfriend. He's been saving up a long time for an actual ring, that's just the engagement." The small golden ring, had the tiniest diamond in the center. It was a perfect engagement ring, simple and elegant. "He says he's going to propose to her after they graduate from college. He's saving to buy a place together to. Its pretty romantic." Sanami sighed. "Is that all you need?"

"Yeah, that's all." I answered, trying to ignore the guilt I felt for going through Raye's things. "Can you hold onto the key actually? Just tell him he left it here or something?"

"Certainly. He is off the hook though right?" Sanami asked worriedly.

"Yes. He's going to be just fine."

* * *

><p>AN: So a lot going on in this chapter huh? Well I know a few of you are going to be thinking: what about LxLight?

Well, everyone, the reason I decided to make L straight was because a part of me has always thought that Misa and L would always make a cute couple. Besides, having every male character in the story either gay or bisexual would ruin it in my opinion. I like switching things up so I hope you all will give MisaxL a shot. That is, if Misa even likes him back. ;)

So after a few chapters, I'm going to reveal some secrets. So be prepared to make some guesses cause I LOVE hearing what everyone thinks.

P.S. I have been asked to beta two stories - very shocking I know - and I'll put them on my profile so you can check them out. ALSO CHECK OUT MY PROFILE FOR FUTURE DEATH NOTE STORY IDEAS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS ABOUT SIN. THANK YOU :)

Thanks to SyC0bEaR, ktmsx125, BloodyFacesAndBlackHearts, wishingbell, ying-yang love, Miharu is Haruka's Love Child, HarryPotterMangaGleek, ABECrudele, OhMyGeePinkSucksAss, NinjaPrincessHaruka, VampirePrinssess, Cris UchihaxSasuNaru Freak, jhoker, ClOuDs-N-rAiNbOwS, maili-chan, PIE, and EndlessStorm for reviewing/alerting.

Remember, more popularity means more updates ;) & as I always say, nothing is ever as it seems.


	5. Chapter 4

A/N: LE GASP! An Update! Well readers, I know its August my work month but one of my readers put me in a really good mood with their reviews so decided to put this puppy up. It all begins now so pay attention. There's a lot coming your way.

P.S. READ VERY IMPORTANT! I'm posting a poll on my profile about which Death note story I should start on after I finish this. I know a lot of you are going to say to start on **Redemption** but please keep in mind that I want the final story to be utterly amazing and spectacular so I still need to sort through some ideas and it will be a long time before I get the update for the story. I currently have three Death Note story ideas up so as I always say, check my profile, read the synopsis, and vote for which one you like. :)

* * *

><p><strong>Day 3 Pt. 1<strong>

Thank god I had first period with Misa. Because out of every teacher who worked at this school, Mr. Ide was one of the laziest. He'd either be too stoned to give us an assignment or never collect what he gave us. Basically, this was everyone's free period.

And Misa and I had a lot to discuss.

"What's got you looking so dark?" Light appeared in my line of vision, pulling up his desk in front of mine. "You look like you're ready to kill someone." No Light, I was only thinking that if L and Misa actually worked out, I would have to torture him if he did anything to hurt her. No big deal.

"Just daydreaming." I said, searching the classroom. "Have you seen Misa?" Light shrugged.

"How should I know? I'm not her keeper." I sent him an icy glare which he promptly ignored. He knew that Misa had liked him and couldn't care less. The thought of having L and Misa going out and seeing Light's shocked face filled me with happiness. Light was too cocky for his own good sometimes and this would definitely knock him down a few notches.

"Of course you're not. Your track record with keeping any girl for longer than five minutes its pretty poor." I said, laughing at the angry look in his eyes.

"Girls are overrated and cheap. At least the ones at this school." He said, looking at me with angry eyes. "Besides, I'm only with them because-"

"Mello! Light! Sorry I'm late." Misa chirped, pulling up seat next to both of us. She didn't even bother handing the teacher a late pass because he was already fast asleep. "And sorry I couldn't join you last night. My mom was really tired of me going out so many time during the week. I don't want to make her upset."

"That's alright. I actually wanted to clarify a few things with you." I said, sitting back comfortably and watching the clueless expression on Light's face. Now that I thought about it, maybe I could secretly question him to without him getting as suspicious as L. He wouldn't catch on as quickly, so it was the perfect opportunity.

"Like how I'm going to talk to Naomi?"

"Sort of." I said. "I wanted to ask you...Friday night when you went home, did anything unusual happen?"

"Oh come on Mello, you actually think Misa put the drugs in Matt's locker. That's rich." He said with a smile. "On second thought, I'm not surprised. She hates Matt as much as I do."

"Is your name Misa Light? No? Then stop talking." I turned to Misa, noting the almost shy look on her face.

"Well I went back home." She paused for a second, taking out a notebook from her bag. "And L was there."

"L?" Light looked almost shocked, his eyes on Misa and then me. "Is there some secret club going on between you three? Because I'm feeling left out."

"Light, nobody cares about your insecurities." I said, squeezing his shoulder. "Misa, do you know why he was there?"

"Not really." She said, avoiding my eyes. Then she did know. Crap. Does this means she likes him? Or doesn't? God, why did Light have to show up? "We hung out for awhile and then he went home."

"Seriously, both of you, I feel like I'm missing something. Can someone fill me in?"

"You're not missing anything Light. I'm just asking. So what did you do Friday-"

"None of your business." His light joking tone had gone dark in seconds flat, surprising me briefly. When I had questioned L, he had already been suspicious of me but had honestly answered my questions. He didn't even hold a grudge against me for my ulterior motives and had even offered to help. But Light's instant defensive response put me on edge.

"Okay Light, chill. Just asking." I said, trying to play it off in front of Misa but he looked at me suspiciously. Okay, I didn't think Light had anything to do with the Friday fiasco but now I'm not so sure anymore. Damn. I was hoping to take him off the list too.

* * *

><p>It was easy to get Wedy to be my partner. She had what I liked to call Linda-Obsession Syndrome. She was desperate to be popular so she would associate herself with the popular people so they would accept her. And thankfully, I was popular enough to get her attention.<p>

I made sure we finished the experiment as quickly as possible. I acted nicely with her, told her jokes, and even did most of the work. I can tell she was already warming up to me so this would be pretty easy. We had a twenty minutes to ourselves so I didn't have to worry about interruptions.

"Mello, I had no idea you were so wonderful. But I guess some rumors are right." She said, blinking her eyes at me. Dear god she was vapid. At least I knew now that she was too stupid to do something as framing Matt without help, if she even had anything to do with it, which I seriously doubted at this point.

"Well it all depends on what you're hearing love." I said with a smile, pulling a strand of hair behind her. She blushed almost violently and tried to cover her face. Dear god, this was just too easy. "Speaking of rumors, have you heard what happened to Matt?" Wedy inhaled a breath but her face was still flushed.

"Yes of course. Good thing too since he was such a womanizer. A hot womanizer..." She said, biting her lip. "But sad. I had no idea he was doing crack."

"Wait a second. How did you know which drug it was?" I asked. The report in the newspaper hadn't revealed the drug thanks to Matt's dad meddling so for her to know meant something.

"Well um...Aiber told me."

"And how did he know?"

"He found out from his cousin Stephen, who found out from Near. I found out this morning though. Near seems to know everything though. He's told Aiber and me so much stuff..." She said. Of course. I had a distinct feeling that all the information I would hear about would point to Near. Hopefully, when I went to Matt's after school, he would have found something useful for me.

"Do you know if Near has a personal grudge against Matt?"

"Not really. I don't know a lot about him actually. Just that he's scary smart." And scary manipulative. And involved.

* * *

><p>"Hey Lind." I was at Lind's typical hiding spot, a hidden alley between the lockers and one of the side buildings. He had a cigarette hanging loosely in his hand and after a moment, he regarded me with cool eyes.<p>

"You're Mello right?" I nodded.

"How's it going?"

"Alright." He brought the cigarette to his lips and he eyed my body. "You got some nice curves Mello." I stifled the anger rising in me because punching this ass hole in the face wouldn't get me answers.

"And you've got a nice face. At least, you had a nice face until those drugs you've been doing have pretty much fucked it up beyond repair." Lind let out a raspy laugh and held out his hand to me.

"I like you Mello. You got a nice sense of humor." I shook his hand, glad this was going easier than I thought. He shuffled through his pocket before holding out a carton. "Cigarette?"

"No thanks, I actually like my body healthy. Curves and all." I stated, sitting next to him on the bench. "Listen Lind. I don't like bullshit and you don't either so let's make this quick. Did you put drugs into Matt's locker on Friday night?" Lind squinted his eyes in thought.

"Friday? God what did I do...oh yeah. I was at that party that whats her face was holding. Crazy party man. Have you ever taken E and then danced in strobe lights? Its fucking sick." No because I value my sanity.

"How long were you at the party for?"

"Never left. Woke up Saturday afternoon, went home, chilled. Didn't put drugs in anyone's locker."

"And why would I believe that?" Lind leaned in real close, so close that I almost stood up. Almost.

"Dude, why would I willingly put drugs in someone's locker? If I have drugs, I either smoke it or sell it. I wouldn't give those drugs away for free. Total waste." In some sick twisted way, I understood what he was saying.

"So you wouldn't do anything to get Matt in trouble with the police then?" I asked.

"Hell no. If I wanted to get Matt in trouble, I'd use my fists. Total ass." He muttered, flicking his cigarette on the floor. "I don't use the police. Ever."

"Right. Well Lind, its been interesting. I'll see you around."

"I won't if you keep fucking around with stuff that's not your business."

"What did you just say?" It was hard to keep the ice from seeping into my voice. Because no one and I mean _no one_, threatened me. Ever.

"Look kid, if you fuck with people who have power you get screwed over. I should know, I've been to fucking prison. This may be a high school but people can get you in trouble if they don't like you. Matt figured that out the hard way."

* * *

><p><em>I don't like people who touch my things.<em> I stared at the note with shock and confusion. How the hell did Near know I'd been in his locker. There was no way he could have possibly known and yet he did. So as a result, he'd left me his own little message.

Which meant he knew what I was up to and that he could warn whoever did this to lay low, therefore ruining my chances of helping Matt for good.

Fuck.

I crumbled the note and shoved it in my pocket, slamming my locker as hard as I possibly could. There was no way I was going to let that stupid little midget screw with my head. I was going to find out what exactly he knew and if I had to kick his ass to do it, then I would. Detention be damned.

I stalked through the hallway, shoving my way past people who couldn't move fast enough. It was about time for lunch to start, which probably meant that Near purposely wanted me to meet with him and talk to him. But as I scanned each and every person in the cafeteria, including the spot where he and his populars sat, I couldn't find that familiar tuft of white.

"Dammit where is he?" I scowled. Near certainly liked to play his games, just like Mikami. The only difference was, I wasn't naive anymore. And I knew how to play.

I pulled out the note again and read it carefully. _I don't like people who touch my things._ He knows I went to his locker. So it would make sense to go to the locker room. Except the numbers at the top gave a number of a classroom: _232_.

Of course. He had laid the code for me as a trap because he knew I would help. And who would he figure that out from?

Linda.

I rushed to the second floor and practically ran to the classroom, smiling when I saw Near sitting by himself in the room, playing with a Rubix cube. Bingo.

"So here's where you've been hiding you little prick." Near looked up at me with dark and emotionless eyes. I didn't even know how it was possible for this kid to get so popular when its so hard to look him in the eyes.

"Well Mello, I'm quite surprised. I thought it would take longer for you to find me." He said, his eyes challenging me. Instead of going at him calmly like I had with everyone else, I grabbed him by his collar and yanked him up until he was eye to eye with me.

"Enough playing games you little shit. Tell me why you got Matt in trouble with the police." Near hardly looked surprised that I had snatched him up like that. He even smiled, like he was actually having fun.

"Me? Why Mello, why on Earth would you think I had something to do with Matthew's predicament? I certainly never mess with drugs and he shouldn't either."

"Matt was framed and you know who did it. I know you're not an idiot, you know exactly who did it." Near stayed utterly silent, confirming my thoughts. "You can make this a lot easier for me if you just say who did it."

"And why would I want to do that?"

"Because I'm about ten seconds from throwing you out the window." I growled, dragging him towards the window.

"Mello, I'm afraid you're looking at this all wrong."

"Seven seconds."

"If you simply paid attention-"

"Five."

"There are two people involved." He said as soon as I touched the lock. I looked at him carefully as he spoke. "Two people you happen to know. A boy and a girl. If you think _my_ friends are involved, you better look again." He smiled then, showing all of his teeth.

"I knew it. You're screwing with me Near."

"Of course. Its fun to watch you struggle." He leaned in so close to me that our face were almost touching. "But you better hurry because times running out for Matthew. And even with my help, you still don't know who did it."

A boy and a girl, that I knew. He most likely wasn't screwing around about that. But the friends bit? Maybe he knew that I had paired the suspects up wrong. That has to be it. "I'll find out Near. And then you'll get what's coming to you." Near raised an eye brow and pushed away from me.

"What's coming to me? But Mello, what did I do wrong?"

"You fucked with the wrong people."

* * *

><p>AN: And the plot darkens. After the next chapter, you can begin to make guesses but I'd love to hear what you're thinking so far. Mello's about to make a few more discoveries so pay attention. And trust me, I REALLY REALLY REALLY want to know what you're thinking.

Remember, you'll be surprised by what you find so be prepared...:)

Btw, I feel so natural writing Near's voice, because its easy for me to make him come out as an ass. Lol ;)

P.S. CHECK OUT MY PROFILE FOR ANNOUNCEMENTS YO! ITS IMPORTANT! FUTURE STORIES/POLL! VOTE! SCROLL TO TOP OF CHAPTER FOR DETAILS ;)


	6. Chapter 5

A/N: I'M BACK YO! Sup! So I'm officially closing the poll on my profile and the results are in. Let me just say that there were so many ties that I thought I'd never get one chosen. But the story I will post after **Sin** is complete is...The Game.

I know I know. Redemption will have to wait until The Game is finished. BUT when I post it up, please please please check it out. I'm really nervous about how people will think about it and I'm hoping my loyal readers will bear with me and check it out and give me their opinion. But good news, I'm almost finished completely with writing The Game so I can have an updating schedule. Then finally, I will have **Redemption** up.

By the way, since its been awhile, I suggest you reread the last chapter and if you want the whole story so you're not confused. If you do remember, then good. :)

Thank you for all being patient with me while I was on hiatus and enjoy this chapter. Let me just say that it was a b#$% to write so your welcome.

Btw, here is an excerpt from my new story **The Game**. Remember how I like surprises...and nothing is what it seems:

"I want you all to play." A sudden whirring noise came from one of the walls, and everyone backed away from it. The center of the wall split open and a tv-like device fit the space perfectly, sealing itself between us and the outside.

No one approached the TV except for me. I looked at the massive screen that was almost six feet tall and banged my hands against it. As I believed, it was reinforced and there would be no breaking this thing apart.

"Play what exactly?"

SOOOOO? Look good or what? Let me know what you think pleez. :)

* * *

><p><strong>Day 3 Pt. 2<strong>

"So you don't think Naomi did it?" Misa asked, her eyes wide with confusion. "But Mello-"

"I think the person who wanted revenge was Linda. As for the person who laid out the drugs, I'm guessing its Aiber or Stephen. They're both under Near's influence so if he said the word, either of them would have gone out to do the deed. But I feel as if we're missing something." Something about Near's superior attitude. Like he knew something I didn't, something personal. Right now, I was anxious to go to Matt's house, so I could talk out what I was thinking and see if it hit me.

"Linda...she's not that cruel is she?"

"I do know she doesn't care about the lives she's ruined." I said, trying to keep myself from getting angry. There was no way I was going to let her bother me even now. No one would ever hurt me again. "Goddammit I'm missing something obvious and I know it!"

"Mello you just said the lord's name in vain." Misa muttered.

"I don't care right now. I just want this stupid mystery to end." I growled, resisting the urge to punch the wall. "He knows something personal. Maybe its not about me but one of the suspects. Maybe he knows that finding out who did it can hurt me personally. Maybe it's not even Linda and I'm just trying to make myself believe that it is." For a brief second, my mind flickered to Light's mysterious behavior this morning. But he wouldn't do drugs. He's not like that. "I have to go find Light. Talk to him. I'll see you tomorrow Misa."

Misa stared at me sadly but nodded. "It will be okay Mello. You'll do the right thing. I just know it." It was almost time for our last period of the day but I could care less. Right now, I had only one thing on my mind and that was finding Light.

He would be in P.E. now, getting ready to go workout. But when I entered the locker room, I couldn't find him anywhere. "Hey Raye, have you seen Light?" Raye looked up at me and leaned in.

"He's talking with some girl outside. Something serious by the looks of things. I'd steer clear." He said, turning away from me so he could go outside. Now, what girl could he possible be raping now? The possibilities were fucking endless.

But as I walked outside and zeroed in on Light talking to a girl, my spirits dropped. He looked downright pissed at the girl with the familiar short black hairdo.

"You said that nobody saw you." Light hissed, his eyes flaring with a fury I'd never seen before in him. Not even when he found out the truth about Matt was he this angry. Well, maybe he was. But he still looked furious. "But apparently someone did."

"Light no one saw me I swear. I was careful." Kiyomi cried, covering her face with her hands. "I was in disguise."

"Well someone recognized you. You weren't careful enough. I knew we should have done it on the weekend."

"Friday night was the only time. Look, no one's going to know it was us there so let's just lay low. And we have to make sure Near stays quiet." Everything inside me was just screaming. Kiyomi and Light...they wouldn't do such a thing. Light wasn't that sick or twisted for revenge. He didn't do bad things like this and he said he didn't care about Matt anymore.

But Kiyomi was crazy and obsessive. If she saw Matt as an obstacle, then she could get rid of him to get on good terms with Light.

No way. That wouldn't happen. Light is a good person. He doesn't hurt people.

Before either could see or recognize me, I ran inside the school building, searching for the one person who could make sense of this screwed up situation. He was in the chem lab, sitting at a table by himself. Perfect.

"Near." I said, unable to keep the ice from seeping into my voice. Near looked up from his text book and smiled at me, clearly pleased to know that he had managed to get under my skin yet again.

"Ah Mello, how unsurprising to see you so soon. I assume you finally figured out my little message?" Near was a little manipulating bitch, just like Mikami. I would truly enjoy taking him down one day.

"You said if you think you're friends are involved I better look again. And I did. There are more than just two people involved in this. And one of them is my friend."

"Looks like blonds aren't so stupid anymore. Go on." He said, turning to face me fully.

"You also implied not to suspect one of your friends. Which means you hacked my computer and saw my list."

"Well you hacked my computer. Its only fair." Damn. I would have thought that Matt could cover that up but I guess not.

"You're also planning on dropping the friend of yours that was involved. Is it Linda Near? Are you finally done using her? Or how about Taro because he's willing and unsuspecting? Whoever you drop is the person involved and I intend to find out who it is." Near said nothing but his expression spoke the truth. He honestly didn't expect me to find out the last bit. He probably assumed that I would think the third culprit would be someone in his circle, not someone he was dropping. And if he decided to get rid of that person anytime soon, I would know the truth and ruin the game for him. So he would have to stay low for now. "There are three people involved. One is a friend, one is somehow mysteriously involved, and one is someone you are prepared to drop. One is a boy, the other is a girl. So thank you Near, for giving me my biggest clue yet. I'll make sure Matt personally thanks you when he gets out of his...predicament."

I walked away from the classroom, no doubt looking more confident than I felt. Because Near had just confirmed my biggest fear. A friend was involved.

But not Light. It can't be Light. So who else would he consider to be my friend?

Linda? Maybe he had thrown in that friend bit to confuse me. Maybe he meant someone who had once been my friend...god this was just too much. All I knew was that I had to make sure that Matt was proven innocent while making sure another friend of mine didn't end up taking his place.

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><p>"You know you really owe me for all the shit you're putting me through." I said, storming into his room. Matt looked up at me with wide eyes as I tossed my bag to the side and practically collapsed on his bed. Why did high school have to be so damn annoying? "I hate to sound like every angsty teenager in the whole wide world but there's got to be some limit here for me."<p>

"Um...do you want to talk about it?" Matt asked, putting down a book and sliding next to me.

"No...yes." Matt smiled, grabbing a strand of my hair and twisting it between his fingers.

"Well I'm doing nothing interesting." He said, throwing his book off the bed. "The Great Gatsby sucks. Okay, I'm all yours."

"So a lot has happened since I last saw you. I can tell you successfully that L didn't do it and neither did Raye. Misa talked to Naomi and says that she's too focused on Raye to think about revenge against you. So that's three suspects gone." I said taking out the list and showing him my newest findings. "Wedy's too stupid to do something like that but I'm not sure about Aiber. And even though I talked to Lind and he swore up and down he didn't do it, there's just something about him that screams secret."

**Suspects**

*Light Yagami

_**Raye Penber**_ - _**Naomi Misora**_

Near - Linda

_**Lawliet Ryuzaki**_

Aiber Morrello - _**Wedy Kennwood**_

Taro Kagami

Stephen G. Loud - Halle L. Bullook

Lind Tailor

Kiyomi Takada

"So...you're sure L didn't do it?"

"Absolutely." I said. I wasn't about to tell Matt why L wasn't suspicious anymore because it was his personal business. Besides, I wouldn't think he'd want Matt to know something as personal as that anyways.

"Did you talk to Near?"

"Yes. And god Matt this is where it gets complicated. He knows whose involved. And he implied that its more than just one or two people. Most likely three people but it could be a group." Matt's expression darkened visibly and I couldn't help but feel bad. To know that a whole group of students is trying to get you jailed has got to be painful.

"You sure he's telling the truth?" Matt grit out.

"Yes. He says he enjoys watching me squirm and he wouldn't be able to do that if he lied. Knowing I'm struggling to find out what he knows is what entertains him." I said, feeling awkward. Near certainly knew that I'd be able to tell if he was lying so omitting the truth from me makes it all the better. To know something someone is trying to know has got be the greatest pleasure for him.

"Wow. Did you talk to Light?" He asked, looking at me closely. "Or is that what's bothering you?" Dammit how did he read me so well?

"Light...he's been acting weird." I paused, wondering if I should tell him of his conversation with Kiyomi. "I asked him what he did last Friday and he got all defensive. Then I caught him talking with Kiyomi about last Friday night. Something they were supposed to do together and how someone saw her and she freaked out."

"You're fucking kidding me."

"Matt, it might not be what we're thinking-"

"Mello don't be stupid! Light hates my guts and if he got the chance to get rid of me to protect you, he'd do it. He probably manipulated Kiyomi and one of his sluts into doing it." Actually, the slut might just be Linda but she's never liked Light. It would make sense for her to do something like that as revenge but I'm thinking maybe Near got one of his cronies to work with them.

"I'm not stupid Matt. I'm just being realistic. Light wouldn't do something as extreme as drugs in your locker to protect me."

"Then you obviously don't know him very well." Matt said, folding his arms. "God it makes sense. Light, Kiyomi, and someone else. It could work since they'd all have alibis to protect each other. And I know you have an idea who the third person could be."

"Actually I'm kind of stuck on the third person but I know they're connected to Near somehow. Linda because she hates you and she'd be able to tell Near about it. Taro because he's desperate to be popular so he'd do this to get on Near's good side. Aiber because he's similar to Near: they both like screwing with people because they can, although that's all I know about him. Stephen...god he's just as much as a mystery but he's a computer tech like you are and he might even have been smart enough to break into your locker. Lind...well maybe he was on the run from the cops and everyone told him to put it into your locker."

"So you're sure Naomi's not involved? Even if you haven't talked to her?"

"Well Misa's sure and I trust her. So that means we've got a lot of people to go through tomorrow." I sighed, turning as I heard the door bell rang. "Are you gonna get that?" Matt sighed and got up, beckoning me to follow him.

"Dad's doing business so its just you and me thankfully." He glared disdainfully at the blinking collar on his ankle. "House arrest sucks." I smiled as we walked down the stairs sitting down on one of his leather couches. Just like old times.

_"You really think he didn't do it or are you trying to convince yourself he didn't?" _I believed Matt. At least, I was 99% sure I believed Matt. L may have been trying to throw me off, that's all.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I tensed at the sound of Matt's voice and ran over to where he was standing, surprised to see Light of all people here. Light's mouth was pressed into a thin line and his eyes were practically screaming murder but he looked almost relaxed.

"I'm here to see Mello. I figured he'd be here." His eyes zeroed in on me and I instantly took a step back.

"What do you want Light? I thought you made it pretty obvious that you weren't up for talking this morning." Matt looked at me curiously and smiled like he was proud I was mad at Light.

"It'll just take a minute. Just you and me." Light scratched the back of his head, looking awkward. "Please, its important."

"Okay..." I took a step around Matt and walked a few steps towards Light. "I'll see you inside Matt. Promise." Matt's face crumpled but he otherwise nodded, giving Light one last glare before he closed the door.

"Come over here, I don't want him to look through the window." Light muttered, taking my hand before I could protest and dragging me behind one of the parts of the houses so no one could look in.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, fed up with all the secret behavior and bullshit.

"I would ask you the same thing but I think you already know." He said, his eyes flashing angrily. "How long have you been dating Matt? And how long are you going to act like you don't like him when you're going over to his house every day and doing god knows what in there."

"God knows what? What do you think I am Light, a whore?"

"I think you're confused. And Matt's just manipulating you back into his life."

"No one's manipulating me into anything." I snapped, giving him my best icy glare. "I'm trying to help Matt find out who framed him because he doesn't deserve to go to jail." Light groaned and pressed his fingers to his temple, as he muttered something under his breath. "What did you just say?"

"I didn't say anything. Whatever, I'll just go." He said, walking in the other direction.

"No you said something." I said, grabbing his arm and pulling him back. "What did you mumble just then?" Light looked annoyed and he snatched his hand away but he also leaned in close as if someone was listening in.

"I said he doesn't deserve you. He never did." I blinked back surprise, wanting to take step back from Light if not for the hold he had on my arms. The way he was speaking...it almost sounded jealous.

"Light, I'm just helping him out. It doesn't mean anything to me." That was true. Sort of. I wasn't interested in being with Matt romantically but I always had 'what if' going through my mind.

"So you help him out." He said, pushing me back against the wall and trapping me there. "Lets say you save his ass, he doesn't go to jail and all is well in Matty land. Then what? You two start being friends even though you won't be able to forget what he did to you and then he'll guilt you, saying that all the time you spent together was _special_. You'll end up feeling like crap and even though it'll hurt you, you will still be with him until he tries to kiss you. And you'll let him."

I wasn't about to admit how much his words hurt me but I was going to tell him how wrong he is. "You must not know me very well Light because I'd never set myself up to get hurt again unless I knew that person had changed for the better."

"People can't change who they are. They're always the same on the inside and that's a fact."

"Yes people can. I changed who I was completely when I was lost and hurt...and Misa changed her valley girl self into one of my best friends. Someone who is trusting and caring."

"But there's always that same person deep inside Mello, that never changes, that's always the same. People may change on the outside but their actions stay with them because that's who they are." He said, his hands pressed to my sides.

"Its not actions who define who they are, its people around them. You can always try to be yourself but people will always create your image based on what they see, not on what they know." I shook my head, trying not to let myself get carried away. "Where are you going with this Light because I have better things to do than to be criticized by you."

"I'm not criticizing you. I'm just trying to show you...that Matt doesn't-"

"No Light. I already know how you feel about Matt and what he's done." I wasn't going to be fooled by any lie, especially by people I knew. I wouldn't be taken advantage of in any way ever again. "Just tell me why you're really here Light. Tell me what you need to say."

Light just looked at me silently, his face completely still. He swallowed once, before slowly wrapping his arms around me, pulling me against his chest. "I don't know how to tell you how I feel about you." He whispered in my ear. My insides clenched at the words. Light couldn't possibly be telling me what I thought he would be telling me. He wouldn't do that cause he wasn't like that.

"Oh." I whispered, unable to speak up. Shock coursed through me in tidal waves and I wrapped my arms around Light. "I...I really do love you Light. But not like that."

"I know." Light said, sighing softly as he pulled away from me.

"But Light, you are going to be with the most fantastic person one day. Someone who looks past your cocky attitude and sees how damn awesome you are." I said, giving his arm a small punch.

"It just won't be you?"

"No. It won't. And I'm not saying this because of Matt or anything. I really do care about you stupid. I just wish you wouldn't keep secrets from me." Light smiled grimly at me.

"Don't worry Mells, soon enough, I won't have any more secrets to hide. Trust me."

* * *

><p>AN: LONG ASS CHAPTER! Ugh. But yeah. The little end conversation with Light actually happened to me with a guy. My brother's best friend admitted his feelings for me in the summer so I thought I'd use it. Sad but true. :/

Thanks to Glitterthorn, LoveUntilWeBleed, EndlessStorm, BloodyFacesAndBlackHearts, Nicole-chanxo, SyC0bEaR, wishingbell, OhMyGeePinkSucksAss, x. Tina .x14, MagnusBanesBitch, VampirePrinssess, K-Star Happy Face, , xxxIDKanimexxx, KaruSilverRain, shatteredRiddle, Alice Night2, esoteric-x, equinewhisperer, ktmsx125, and Ari-Skye.

Also thanks to the people I forgot to thank for the last chapter: EndlessStorm, OhMyGeePinkSucksAss, MelMat, BloodyFacesAndBlackHearts, jhoker, HarryPotterMangaGleek, ABECrudele,SyC0bEaR, VampirePrinssess, Mirror of Melancholy, owlcitystars98, BTFizzleyo, foreverunloved, LoveUntilWeBleed, Deekie, textbookhauntings, and .x14.

IMPORTANT NOTE: I don't know when my next update will be but keep bugging me to remind me, ok? Lol :) Hope you all enjoyed.


	7. Chapter 6

A/N: Update! :D Okay, so please forgive me for getting corny on you guys and girls but I just want to say how happy I am that you all actually still read my stories. I know my updating schedule is hectic and I am going to try and write more during winter break but I really do appreciate all of you *cue sappy music* & even though I get scared that no one will like my future story ideas or no one will read them, I read your reviews and they just always make me smile. Because no matter how many subscribers or reviews or alerts I have, I've still got my readers :)

P.S. For all you Matty fans out there, this is for you...enjoy!

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><p>Day 3 Pt. 3<p>

"What did you two talk about?" Matt asked, looking slightly aggravated as he tapped his fingers impatiently on the wall. I simply raised an eye brow at his troubled expression but made no comment. "Well?"

"Its nothing Matt. Let's just...get back to work." I said, trying to forget about the crestfallen on Light's face.

"He didn't try to kiss you did he?" Matt asked, grabbing onto my arm. Seriously, what is up with everyone trying to grab my arm? Too much abuse.

"Seriously Matt. Let go." Matt's eyes narrowed but he let go of me, still hovering next to me with nervous energy. "So did he?"

"God you're like a two year old. Can we pleased stay focused? I'm trying to keep you out of jail." This seemed to sober him up as he practically sulked his way back to his room. But as I walked into Matt's room, I couldn't help but feel...suddenly awkward. Light's previous thoughts on Matt creeped their way into my head and made me feel nervous all of a sudden.

Matt would never push himself on me.

Even though he's drugged me...and groped me in school...and made out with me in his room.

Golly jee, isn't Matt just the poster boy of innocence?

"You look deep in thought Mells. Care to share?" Matt asked, stretching out on his bed, patting the spot next to him. Although I hadn't seen him much over the past few months, I knew this laid back behavior meant he was uncomfortable. At least, he still looked tense to me.

"Its nothing. Let's just...stay focused." I said, sitting down next to him. "Can you tell me what you found on Near's computer? Anything would help really."

"Unfortunately I didn't find much. But I did find an interesting file on his computer." Matt said with a smile, grabbing his computer and flipping it open before rapidly typing on the keys. "I managed to save it just in time before he caught me."

"Near caught you?" Matt nodded sullenly. "I don't believe this. You are a techie genius Matt! How in the world would someone like him catch you?"

"The guy's smart Mello. He put up a lot of protection and though I was able to get through most of it, he still managed to get me. But I'm almost positive that he doesn't know its me. I was able to back track as soon as I knew I was caught." I couldn't help but think back to earlier today when I was speaking with Near. Obviously Near knew someone was snooping on his computer and would no doubt up the ante in security but if he thought it was just me and not Matt, so far so good. "Now, most of what I searched was just a bunch of junk but I found two very interesting...well, just see for yourself." He said, pushing the computer on to my lap.

On the screen was a list of every single person who went to my school. And underneath every single name was...to put it plainly dirt. Near had compiled a list of major blackmail. One girl apparently slept with a teacher, another guy apparently had links to a sex change site, the list went on and on.

"Holy shit."

"I know right? It makes you wonder how he got all this."

"Near is conniving. He's got eyes and ears everywhere and knows how to work technology. I just never imagined his knowledge would be this huge." Which suddenly made me curious. If Near had this much information on people, then how much would he have on his so called friends?

I scrolled down to Halle's name first and it immediately clicked in my head. Maybe Near _did_ have friends in this school but he also had the perfect way of controlling them. With the right amount of blackmail, he could make anyone do anything...or completely destroy someone.

"Halle was in a porno? Holy shit this I gotta see!" I slapped Matt's hands away from the keyboard and glared at him. "Just kidding Mells. But you got to admit that's funny."

"It may be funny to you but to her its got to be mortifying. If she even knows Near has this." I scrolled away from her name and went all the way down to Matt's name, surprise filling me. "Matt, come check this out." Matt leaned over my shoulder and I could almost feel the surprise radiating from him.

"There's...there's nothing there."

"Maybe its a glitch." I said, scrolling down the rest of the names and then back to Matt's, a raw feeling growing in my stomach. "Matt, yours is the only one without anything."

"Wh-what about yours?"

"I already checked. He has those slutty pictures of me when I fell in the pool with Light. And before you say its no big deal, it is because he could send those to my dad, or the colleges I want to go to, or...anyone." Matt shook his head, looking extremely uncomfortable.

"But this can't be possible. Mello, everyone thinks I did drugs and he's the one whose been fanning the flames."

"But he also knows who framed you, which means the blackmail wouldn't be legit. Especially if we were able to prove your innocence." I pushed the computer off my lap and tried to clear my head. Something was obviously missing here, something we weren't seeing.

"What about me sleeping around? Couldn't he use that to blackmail me?"

"He could but it wouldn't do him any good. Its not something you'd be ashamed of anyways and even if he tried to send this list to your family or something, he doesn't have physical evidence."

"So maybe he framed me because he didn't have anything on me."

"That's too convenient. Besides, he says he knows who did it, not that he did it himself. And I don't think he would put it on the computer either. Anyways, lets move on from this. What was the second thing you found?"

"Something freakier." He said, his voice low and serious. "Recognize this guy?" I looked at the picture on screen and had to repress a shiver.

"Holy mother of...is that Ryuk?" There was no doubt about it. Of course that was Ryuk. He had to be the scariest human being of all time as well as one of the most disgusting. Long dreads that went down his back, sharp features that made him look almost demonic, a long lanky body, and bright brown, almost red eyes. And that creepy smile...

Ryuk also happened to be Mikami's best friend. Oh what a pair they were.

"Yeah. He also happens to be Mikami's...supplier." Matt looked solemn all of a sudden and it finally hit me why. Ryuk had been at the party eighth grade and obviously enough given the drugs to Mikami which he gave to Matt who gave them to me. "Um...anyways, it looks like they've been chatting each other up recently. I didn't get the chance to look at the messages but it looks like one of his so called 'friends' is using him for a fix. And in exchange, he wants...well, virgin girls as pay."

"That's fucking disgusting. But...could it be that this same friend planted the drugs in my locker?" Matt shrugged, then grinned.

"I think we're getting somewhere."

"True that. Do you think you can hack into the computer and see who it is?"

"I can try, but I can guarantee that Near's doubled his security. We'll have to try something else-" We both jumped as the phone rang and Matt immediately groaned. "Goddammit. Its dad."

"How do you know?" I asked, barely avoiding him lumbering off the bed to get to his phone.

"Dad took my cell phone and set up my land line to only answer his calls." Matt grumbled, snatching up the phone. Was Matt's father ever going to leave him alone? Or would he always have this unrelenting hold on Matt, even after he moved out. Somehow it wasn't hard to believe. "What are you talking about? Dad, no, you can't...dad I'm serious, please wait the extra day!" Matt looked at me frantically and everything inside me fell. "Dad, please, just listen to me! Hello? Ah fuck!" Matt slammed the phone down and kicked over the table.

"Matt calm down and tell me what happened." I said calmly, walking over to him slowly.

"I'm fucked. I'm _fucked_ Mello. Dad decided to come early_._ He said he'll be back tomorrow Mello! Don't you get it?" Matt's face was turning bright red and he slumped against the wall shaking.

"Its okay Matt, we'll figure something out-"

"No we won't! We were supposed to figure out the plan tonight and still have time to figure out who did tomorrow. Then Friday, we would explain to the police and my dad-" I slapped my hand on his mouth and gave him a little shake.

"Matt stop. We can still fix things okay? We...we don't have as much time but that's okay. We're smart. We'll figure it out." Matt's eyes widened but he nodded, looking completely miserable.

"How?" He asked, his voice cracking.

"Well..." Well what? What the hell were we going to do? As much as I wanted to stay positive and help out, the time change was gonna mess things up. But I was too involved to back out now.

"You know it doesn't surprise me that he's done this. I mean, he always manages to fuck up my life when things are going good. You know that he said he's sending me to rehab even if the test results come out negative. 'Just in case' he tells me. He also found out about the time I kissed you in seventh grade in the back stairwell. Turns out he'd had my bodyguard of five years watching and then he told dad what happened who immediately sent me to 'fix me I'm gay' camp for a month."

"Wait, you have a bodyguard? And I thought your dad sent you to abroad."

"I didn't know about the bodyguard until I got escorted by him to the bible crazies. No offense." He shook his head. "Karma hates me."

"Yes that's true. But I don't think your dad did this on purpose. Maybe he's coming home sooner because he's trying to prove you're innocent." Matt gave me an incredulous look and rolled his eyes.

"We don't all have your dad Mello. We all know he'd go to Pluto and back to save you but my dad only cares about his reputation. He's nothing but a-"

"Okay stop Matt. Sitting here hating your dad won't help you. Let's just get comfy and think of a solution okay? We'll figure this out." Matt nodded and stood up awkwardly, trying to seem relaxed even though I could see his pent up anger underneath. But if I expected to help him, I couldn't focus on his emotions. Right now, I had to keep Matt's dad from showing the results to the cops. As we sat down, it suddenly hit me what I could do. I may not be able to find the suspect by tonight but I could do the next best thing.

"Matt, we probably won't be able to find out who framed you soon enough. But we can use a scapegoat in your place."

"Mello, don't even think about using my brother. I know he's an ass, god I know that, but he's still family."

"Yeah Matt, I know that. I'm not going to frame your brother." Unfortunately, no matter how much I wanted to make Mikami suffer, now was not the time. I would exact my own revenge when things calmed down. "I was thinking of a bigger ass in mind. Ryuk." Matt's eyes widened.

"Y-you're serious?"

"Yes! Mikami and Ryuk are not only making money off selling drugs but they're messing people up. Especially with the Virgin game they created. If we can somehow frame Ryuk and prove to the police that he was the one who put the "drugs" in your locker, then we'll end up helping a lot of people."

"Well I do agree that Ryuk's a rat bastard. But Mello, how the hell are we going to frame him and get him arrested before my dad gets back?"

"Surprisingly...I think I have something in the works. Something...complicated. But I think it can work. The only thing is we need help."

"Okay then. Go ahead and call Misa."

"I will...I also need L's help." Matt raised and eye brow but otherwise nodded.

"Okay I guess. If he wants to that is."

"...and Light's help."

"No way Mello. Nope. No. Not happening."

"Matt shut up and listen. We can't do this without their help."

"But they hate me!"

"Correction. Light hates you. L ignores you and Misa tolerates you...barely." Matt rolled his eyes and collapsed exhaustedly on his bed.

"Fine. I trust you. Whatever evil things your planning, I trust you." He sighed, rubbing at his eyes tiredly. "I'm really glad you're here Mells. I missed you." I froze as he grabbed my hand, squeezing it. I hated the way my heart began to pound as fingers grazed my own and I had to struggle not to blush.

"Well I better go call the others. To give them a heads up."

"Wait-"

"J-just give me sec." I said, pulling away from his hold and pulling out my cell to dial Misa. "Misa its me. I need you to skip school tomorrow and meet me at Matt's tomorrow morning asap. I um...I need your help."

_"Sure Mello. Whatever you need."_

"Thanks. I'll call L and let him know."

_"That's okay, I can tell him. I was on the phone with him just now."_

"Oh...okay." Were they secretly dating? Or was I going crazy? _God, when this blows over, I am kidnapping her and finding out asap._ "Talk to you later."

"Later." I hung up and quickly dialed Light, smiling when he picked up on the first ring.

_"You rang?"_

"I'm planning something devious and I need you to come over to Matt's tomorrow morning. And before you start crying, I need you to invite everyone you know inside and outside of school to a party you're hosting at your house tomorrow night. And I mean everyone."

_"Should I even ask?"_

"Nope. See you at seven." I turned to Matt who was staring at me with an amused expression. "What are you looking at?"

"Will you stay with me tonight?" And for some damn reason, my heart decided to betray me again by beating a mile a minute.

"I already said I would."

"I meant here. In here. In my room."

"In this room." Which would imply that we would be sharing the same bed. Which would be the worst possible idea to do at this point. "Matt, I don't think-"

"Then stop thinking." He said, yanking me down next to him. "I won't try anything you don't want I swear. Just stay here please?" He was making me nervous. Why couldn't things be more fucking simple?

"Why are you acting like this all of a sudden? I thought we agreed to keep things on a professional level-"

"Screw that." Without warning Matt pulled me on top of him and pressed his lips against mine, yet again.

* * *

><p>AN: Lots of stuff going on. Honestly, I did not expect this chapter to be so exciting. But something changed in the plot that I happened to like better so I wrote some extra stuff in. Hope y'all loved it and once again, sorry for being so long. I don't know when I'll be able to update but hopefully I can have a chapter by next thanksgiving. Maybe one of you can message me to remind me? Thanks lol ;)

Thanks to Glitterthorn, VampirePrinssess, BloodyFacesAndBlackHearts, wishingbell, BehindHappyFaces, jhoker, OhMyGeePinkSucksAss, amanohara, EndlessStorm, PopTart, ForTheLoveofJeevas, tealeyedmoon69, owlcitystars98, theDwarfintheFlask, V.T.W, shadows and silhouettes, PlagueOfAnime, Charismaticmaknae, NinjaPrincessHaruka, DBreBre-z, Kismesis 4evr, mockingjay-lawliet-paramore, and Edge of the Sky for reviewing/alerting/favoriting the story.


	8. Thanksgiving

You know, its been over two years since I began writing stories on this site and I just want to say how incredibly thankful I am. Unfortunately, not every story has made it to the end and some stories have been abandoned for so so long but I've been doing my best to try and finish what I started. I tried this with my story **Virgin, Love Leave Marks, **and **Beauty in the Mask**. I even started the sequel of **Virgin **too :)

But there are a few stories that were left behind at the same time like **A Little Piece of Heaven, Cupid Strikes Back****, **and **So Wrong Its Right**. I hate to say this, I really do but I won't be continuing **So Wrong Its Right. **I feel really bad about it but I don't want to kid anyone. Honesty is the best policy in my eyes. I do have hopes for **A Little Piece of Heaven** and **Cupid Strikes Back** because I WILL NOT GIVE UP ON THESE TWO! But I still want to apologize for waiting so long to update...that is...if anyone still reads them...lol.

Long story short, I just want to say I really am thankful for everyone. Even if today wasn't the best, its always good to know that there are people who enjoy my writing. Every favorite, alert, and review always makes me smile.

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Some names are repeated more than once so I'm too lazy too fix that. Happy Thanksgiving everybody :)

P.S. Sorry this chapter is so so short. But just know that I am currently working on the BIG ASS CHAPTER that you will all enjoy. I'm hoping to get it done in a week or two depending on how much work I have but I'll be working on it during school when I have free time :) I would have written it sooner but I've been crazy busy with **The Game** because I want even updates for everybody. :)

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><p><strong>Day 4 Pt. 1<strong>

"Good. Everyone's here." I said, trying not to feel awkward in the middle of the obvious tension. Matt sat on his bed near me, staring at his feet while L and Light stood by the bed. Misa was sitting on the floor a few feet away, sorting through her massive bag of supplies, strangely silent for once. Whether it had to do with L or not, I would find out as soon as this was all over.

"What exactly are we doing here?" Light grunted, glaring at Matt.

"Glaring at me won't solve your problems." Matt deadpanned.

"True, but I can go outside." Light said with a smug smile.

"True, but Mello slept with me last night."

"Shut your mouths before I shut them for you!" I growled, giving them both the evil eye. "We're moving on. Now, L, you know what to do." L sighed but otherwise nodded, making his way over to Matt.

"Give me your leg." Matt gave me a bewildered look as L sat down.

"My...wha?"

"Leg. The one with the tracker." Matt cautiously lifted up his leg and L pulled a screwdriver out of his pocket and began digging it into the side.

"Misa, love, do you have the hair dye?" Misa nodded and walked over to Light, trying to hide the smile on her face.

"You're gonna make an ugly red head." Light's eyes widened in horror and he immediately backed away from Misa.

"No! No no no! No way! Mello what the hell?"

"Its all part of the plan Light. You have to. You're just gonna play Matt in case his dad comes home before we're done. Plus we need to get Matt to a bigger computer so you're also going to need the ankle thing on. L, can you turn it off long enough to get it on Light's ankle?"

"Is that even a question?" L asked, a small smile on his lips. "This shouldn't take much longer. Its very simple technology really. I could have gotten through this at seven."

"Great. Light, did you set up the party at your place?"

"Of course I did, but I don't see the point of having since I'm not going to be there."

"Simple. You're not only hear to pretend to be Matt. But we need Matt to be at said party so he can invite Mikami-"

"-and then Mikami will bring Ryuk." Matt finished with a smile.

"Ryuk? You mean that creepy friend of his?" Light questioned. "Isn't he a drug dealer?"

"Yes. The same drug dealer who gives everyone at school pot and roofies all those girls?"

"The one and the same." Everyone looked at each with grim expressions. We all knew the horror of Ryuk's hold on everyone through drugs and he really needed to be stopped. It wasn't like he would be missed in prison. "Look I have something planned that will stop him everything works out. Its a little dangerous but if everyone stays focus and doesn't fight, then it'll all go well. Alright?"

"Mello, of course we're all with you but if its dangerous...well are you sure you should do it? I mean, is it really worth it?" Misa asked, worry clear in her voice.

"It is. Ryuk needs to be taken down regardless. And we're going to do it. Tonight."

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><p>AN: Hope I got you all excited...don't you wonder what's gonna happen?


	9. Chapter 8

A/N: If this doesn't get me a lot of reviews I don't know what will. Y'all better enjoy this! I've written a total of 16 pages for this. Enjoy :)

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><p>Mello's POV<p>

The party was in full blast when I arrived with Matt and I was pleased that the room was dark and everyone was pretty wasted. Matt squeezed my hand and pulled out his cell phone dialing the one person in the world I hated more than anyone.

"Mikami! Hey man, where are you? Yeah I'm here! Just made it...and I brought a little surprise. By the way, is Ryuk here?" Matt nodded, giving me a thumbs up. "I'm by the front door. Hurry on over." This was it. It was time to get this show on the road. No backing out now.

In a matter of minutes, Mikami followed by a tall lanky figure that had to be Ryuk. I made sure my bangs were angled over my eyes, just in case he might recognize me. Misa may have done a great job on my makeup and on my outfit but Mikami had always been peculiar.

"Matt!" Mikami yelled over the music slapping Matt's back in a familiar fashion. They both grinned at each other, shoving each other playfully as they embraced. Although I hated Mikami with an anger too strong for one person to hold, it made me feel bad that I would be hurting Matt when I got revenge on Mikami, who had unfortunately grown a few feet taller. He had been tall when I last saw him in the summer of eighth grade...but now he he was huge. At least six foot four, big rippling muscles underneath a t-shirt that was two sizes too small for him, and a smile that just screamed trouble. To some, he would look incredibly attractive but all I could see was a monster.

"And whose the pretty lady?" Mikami asked, his black eyes focusing on me. For a moment, I thought he would recognize me, the way his eyes seemed to zoom in on mine. But the moment passed when Ryuk punched him in the arm, distracting him effectively.

"Yeah, what took you so long to introduce us?" Ryuk asked, slithering up behind Mikami to wrap his long arms around my waist. I had to struggle not to gag as he pulled me against him, his crotch pressing into my ass. So instead of gagging, I gave him my most suggestive smile, just like Misa taught me.

"Its Katherine sugar. But you can call me Kitty. And what do they call you?"

"Ryuk, pussy cat." Ryuk's eyes glittered in the dark as he eyed my body hungrily. Matt instantly tensed as Ryuk's hands squeezed my hips but I gave him a warning look. I was doing this for all the girls he had ever taken advantage of and I would hold out until he got what he deserved. "I bet you're a tight one, eh pussy?" Dear god, this guy was ridiculously disgusting. Thank god we were taking care of him tonight.

"Easy Ryuk. Give the girl a chance before she blows your cock." Mikami said with a smile. Matt's smile had completely vanished by that point and he was glaring at Ryuk like he wanted to stab him.

"Well pussy? You like big fat dicks in your mouth?" His fingers grabbed my chin so I was forced to look him in the eye. And although everything inside me was screaming to kick this guy's ass, I held back. I would have to hold back for the next hour if I expected my plan to work.

"Only yours." I said with a wink. Ryuk practically purred as he leaned down to bite my ear, groaning as he ground his erection into my ass. Sick. Disgusting. I was going to kill this fucker when I had the chance.

"Don't start now. Let's get a drink." Matt rushed, snatching my wrist from Ryuk's hold and propelling me forward, dragging me towards the kitchen. "We need to talk." He growled in my ear, before turning over his shoulder to yell, "We'll be back in a minute."

We made our way past the massive group of teenagers into the kitchen, moving into a corner where there would be less of a chance of being heard. Without warning, he pushed me into the wall, hands on either side of my face as his cheeks turned bright red from anger.

"We're done Mello. I'm dropping out of this and taking you home now." I was so surprised by his demand that for a moment, I couldn't speak.

"Wh-what? We can't back out now, not this close! What's your problem?"

"My problem is Ryuk! As soon as you get to the school, you're on your own. And you know Ryuk's going to put the moves on you. You can get seriously hurt if we keep going and I won't let anything happen to you."

"Matt, just stop. I know you're worried about me but we have to try."

"But I don't want you to risk your safety at my expense."

"I'm not just doing this for you. I'm doing this for all the people Ryuk's ever hurt. He needs to be stopped and I'm the one whose going to stop him." Matt pulled me into his arms and held me tight, unwilling to let me go.

"God Mello...you're so stubborn." He sighed, burying his face in my hair. "You text me if anything goes wrong. Text me and I'll be there in a heartbeat. Promise me you'll do that if you're in trouble." I wanted nothing more than to set Matt's mind at ease but I think we both knew I wouldn't text him for help. I was going to stick this out no matter what and although it was dangerous, I wouldn't fight back. Not until the police showed up.

"I promise." I mumbled into his chest struggling to push him off of me. "Now get off before you smudge my makeup." Matt laughed and leaned in as if to inspect my makeup, catching me by surprise as he kissed me on the nose.

"You make a pretty girl Mells." Matt said, flicking one of my curled waves. "But I don't understand Misa couldn't be...well the girl."

"Misa is terrible under pressure. Plus I'm not putting her in any danger." I said in a tone that ended that conversation. "We should get back before they run off somewhere." Matt nodded and rushed off to get two drinks. To my surprise, Ryuk and Mikami had made their way across the floor and were waiting for us. I put on my best smile and sashayed across the room, walking exactly like Misa taught me. I hoped I did a convincing job because walking in these heels was damn hard. But apparently, I was convincing enough for Ryuk because his eyes sparkled when he saw me.

"Miss me?" I asked, wrapping my arms around his neck so he couldn't feel me up for the moment.

"Of course. But my pussies always come back for me." He grinned, his hands once again reaching for my body. Dear lord, was everyone in this place a walking cess pool?

"So Matt. You mind telling me how you got out of the house?" Mikami asked, gulping down his drink. "Not that I'm not impressed or anything. But dad said they put you in a cuff and everything."

"Dude, it was easy hacking out of the cuff." Matt said, obviously at ease. "But more importantly, did you bring the stuff?"

"You got it. Pure as it gets, shipped straight from Brazil, just for you little brother. But you better not waste it." Mikami reached into his pocket, flashing us a baggy filled with white powder. I tried not to freeze when I saw the drug but thankfully, Matt blocked me from seeing it.

"Mind giving me that?" Matt asked, reaching for Mikami's hand.

"Hey! That's expensive staff Matty. You get caught again and you're going down, not me. You hear?" I smiled as Matt pocketed the bag, winking when he turned to me.

"You got it. Well then, I better split. Got what I wanted so I'd better go."

"What? But you just got here!"

"I know! But I've been out for a few hours now and the cops usually do shifts by the house to check in." Matt shrugged, turning to Ryuk. "It was nice meeting you man. Can't wait to see you again. Oh, and take care of my little lady."

"Oh I will." Ryuk said, yanking me onto his lap. "I'll take good care of her all night." Matt smiled big, but I could see the hidden fury in him. He grabbed my hand and pulled me into a hug. "Good luck." He whispered pulling away when he had tucked the bag securely in my skirt, hidden from view, but ultimately safe. Then he made his way to the door, disappearing from view. Only I knew he was making his way to L's car, where all of L's hightec computer equipment was set up. L would be there with him in case Matt needed help with the tech which probably wouldn't be the case but still. But I wasn't worried about him. I was worried about me. From here on out, it would only get harder for me.

"So sugar. You wanna split and have some private time?" Perfect. Ryuk had just handed me the perfect opportunity and he didn't even know it.

"I thought you'd never ask." I purred, snatching his arm and pulling him up. "Let's go. I have somewhere...perfect in mind." Ryuk growled at the thought and to my total shock, he lifted me off the ground and held me bridal style. Unfortunately for me, Ryuk was stronger than he looked. Fuck.

"Later Mikami. Pussy cat wants to take a ride." He grinned, holding me tight in his arms.

"Dude, what the hell am I going to do at a high school party by myself?"

"Give them a fuck for christ sakes!" Ryuk said, kicking Mikami playfully. "In my left pockets a roofie. Have fun man." Everything inside me froze as MIkami snatched up a pill. I wanted nothing more than to slap that pill out of Mikami's hand and kick his ass for what he was about to do. But unfortunately, I wasn't here for him. Ryuk was the real danger here. But maybe there was one last thing I could try...

"Wait! Aren't you gonna save anything for me?"

"Relax baby. I'm the candy man. I got plenty for us." Damn. It was worth a shot. But now he had me worried. What else could he possibly have in those pockets of his?

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><p>"Like my ride baby?" Ryuk had a gleaming, sleek black motorcycle, with a helmet hanging off the handle. I suddenly had the urge to run back inside. It was a bit of an understatement to say I was scared of motorcycles. I was fucking terrified of them. Dad had instilled the horror of motorcycle accidents at a young age by taking me to a hospital and showing me all of the injured men and women. And right now, I was practically shaking in my heels. "Well?" Shit. I had to answer him. God, why couldn't he have a car like everyone else?<p>

"Is it safe?" I whispered, taking a small step towards it to get a better look. Ryuk laughed at my behavior, pulling out the keys from his pocket.

"You're not really scared are you?" Even though I was absolutely terrified, I knew I had to get on the motorcycle. Which meant facing my fear...even if it could kill me.

"Just wondering...if the helmet's for me. I don't want my makeup to smudge." Okay, so it wasn't my greatest excuse but it was all I could come up with. Ryuk gave me a strange look but shrugged, handing me the helmet before climbing on. I fastened the helmet on as slowly as I possibly could, eyes wide as the motorcycle roared to life. I took a deep breath before climbing onto the back, wrapping my arms around him. Despite everything going on, I desperately held on to Ryuk, close enough to hold on for dear life but far enough so he wouldn't feel the front of me. I mean, Misa May have done a great job with her shorts-in-my-skirt creation to keep everything where it was, but I wasn't going to take any chances.

"So Kitty, I was thinking we could head on back to my apartment to get down and dirty. How's that sound?" Like a thousand nails scratching on a chalk board.

"Actually, I have somewhere...kinkier in mind."

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><p><strong>30 Minutes Later<strong>

Matt's POV

"You're making a huge mistake Matt. This can compromise the entire plan." L said, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Mello is stronger than you think he is. The cops may not have shown yet but he'll be fine in the meantime. He always is." I looked at my watch, feeling the nerves begin to eat away at my stomach again. "Besides, if the cops catch you at the scene of the crime, then you'll be in more trouble than you could possibly imagine."

"But I don't care what happens to me!" I growled, slamming my fist into the dashboard. Spending time with Mello all week reminded me of how close we'd been when we were younger and how much of an idiot I'd been when I hurt yet, he had come to help me through all that, to prove my innocence. Because he actually cared.

"Five minutes Matt. Give it five, we'll call again-"

"No. I'm done waiting. Make sure the cameras are still shut off. I'm just going to make sure he's still alive." Oh I was going to do more than that. I was going to kick Ryuk's ass for even looking at Mello like he was a piece of meat. The way I once looked at him.

"Don't let the cops see you. I mean it." L relented, opening my laptop to reenter the sequences that would turn off the the outside cameras. As long as we had the shot of Ryuk in the building, then that was all that mattered. "Done. Go now and stay in the bushes . I think I hear sirens." I nodded, practically jumping out of the car with nervous energy. In the distance, I could hear the sirens but they were still far away. And Mello might need me now, even if he would never admit it.

Thank god we had parked so close to the school, just in case Ryuk tried to make a run for it. I ran like a maniac to the school, fear for Mello's safety propelling me forward. By the time I made it to the front of the school, the sirens were about a mile away. It was now or never.

I rushed up to the front door and pulled the door open quietly, surprised that only some of the lights were on inside. I listened carefully for any sounds or - god forbid - screams but heard nothing. Nothing but approaching sirens.

I ran by each classroom and through every hallway, looking everywhere for either Ryuk or Mello. But they were nowhere to be found, at least not on the first floor. By the time I made it to the end of the hallway, the sirens were right outside the building. I cursed myself for not leaving sooner to check things out. I wanted nothing more than to run up the stairs to get Mello but I would do more good by staying hidden. Thankfully, I was at the back exit of the school so I was able to sneak out the back without being noticed.

In front of me was the football field, surrounded by bleachers for upcoming games. I knew I should have tried to make my way back to L's car but I just had to make sure Ryuk got arrested and Mello was safe and sound.

As soon as I was securely hidden in the bleachers, I forced myself to breathe. Breathe and listen. I could hear shouting from the front of school. I could hear the front doors slam repeatedly and I prayed that Mello was okay. A few minutes passed with nothing but the sirens in the background. And then I heard some thing I never expected here.

"Hey! We caught the kid whose been planting drugs all over town! We're bringing him out!" Everything inside of me screamed with relief. This was it. I was safe. All I needed to do was get my dad to convince them that Ryuk framed me and I would be safe. No jail, no rehab, no house arrest. In that moment, everything was absolutely perfect. I was safe. I had been saved. Mello saved me.

"Someone call an ambulance! We found a body with no pulse!"

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><p>AN: BAM! I better get some feedback for this because I worked my ass off for this. More reviews = faster updates! :D

Thanks to MNLMFangirl, VampirePrinssess, superstrawberryL, Charismaticmaknae, jhoker, OhMyGeePinkSucksAss, DeathNotefangirl96, mockingjay-lawliet-paramore, BehindHappyFaces, tealeyedmoon69, JustIdleTalk, sesshyrules9198, , ABECrudele, MelMat, superstrawberryL, OhMyGeePinkSucksAss, x. Tina .x14, mattxmellomxm2forever, Patrickhere for reviewing/alerting/favoriting the story.


	10. Chapter 9

A/N: Wow...got a lot of reviews from you all :D I know y'all are nervous to find out what happened with Mello and Ryuk but you're going to have to read this first! I meant to have this out on Christmas but what can you do? And I would've had this out even sooner but I got a new Kindle. :D

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><p>Matt's POV<p>

"Are you sure they said a body with no pulse?" Misa asked, her voice teetering on the edge of a breakdown. I nodded as I sped past an old couple, going at least thirty over the speed limit.

"We're almost at the hospital though. Did you get a hold of Mello's dad?"

"No answer. But Matt, what are we going to tell him? Heck, what are we going to tell the cops? You said the cops arrested Ryuk but what if they come in for questioning? And what if...what if Mells doesn't make it?"

"Don't talk like that! Of course he's going to make it!" I snapped, my chest heavy as we pulled up into the hospital. Misa leapt out of the car before I came to a full stop and ran for the door wildly as if her own life depended on it. Okay, so I had to admit, Misa wasn't the smartest girl in the world but she obviously cared so much about Mello that it was enough to make me love her.

I left my car stranded on the curb, not even bothering to turn the damn thing off as I raced after Misa. The cold air of the hospital hit me like a tidal wave a forced me to a stop. I had to calm down and breathe. Freaking out like this wouldn't solve a thing.

Misa was standing at the front desk, arguing loudly with the receptionist who was looking flustered at this point. Honestly, the girl was tiny but boy could she scream.

"I don't care about hospital rules! You tell me exactly what I want to know right now before I tear this hospital apart."

"Misa, calm down." I said, pulling her back a few feet and leaning in close so I could whisper in her ear. "Let me work my magic on her and I swear I can get us through. Don't worry." Misa huffed irritably and crossed her arms but didn't make another sound so I took that as an ok. I made my way slowly and confidently toward the desk, smirking as the receptionist eyed me with wonder. A typical reaction from the opposite sex but hey, this would work in my favor. "Excuse me...miss?"

The reception shook her head and looked up at me with flirty eyes. "Yes sir? How may I be of service to you on this fine evening?" Misa scoffed behind me and I could relate to her frustration. I wanted nothing more than to say, 'Well you can start by not eye fucking me, but that would be too hard for you wouldn't it?'

"My girlfriend is unbelievably concerned about the well being of our good friend. She was absolutely heartbroken when she heard about the...drug incident at her high school. Her father is chief of police you see and that's how she found out so we rushed over here to see what happened." I couldn't tell if the doctors here had found out if Mello was actually a guy so I didn't want to say the wrong name just in case.

"You mean the drug incident? Oh that poor girl! She was brought in just twenty minutes ago. And you said you both knew her?" I didn't like the sound of that. _Knew_ her. I mean, the receptionist probably wouldn't know for sure if Mello had...passed but she didn't sound very hopeful.

"Yes. Is there anyway we can just know her room number?"

"What did you say your girlfriend's name was?" The receptionist said, her eyes narrowing in on Misa.

"Sayu Yagami." Light would be pissed if he knew I was exploiting his family name but he wasn't here to argue with me so no harm done.

"Oh yes of course! Didn't she win this massive nation wide scholarship-"

"She sure did!" I cut off with a big smile. "Can you give us the room number?"

"Well I suppose I can make an exception if you two don't cause a ruckus. The room number is...243-" Misa yanked my hand and pulled me in the direction of the elevators without a look back and we were able to push ourselves into the already crowded elevator. "You sure are determined." I grunted as an overweight man shoved me into the elevator wall.

"Its one of my greatest features." Misa said, smiling softly although there was absolutely no humor in her expression. Just complete fear. Thank god the ride was short and we pushed our way out, quietly making our way through the various hallways so as not to look suspicious. But from the looks we were getting, I could tell we looked like trouble makers. Even though I was wearing a hat to cover up most of my red brown hair, I still felt like people could recognize me.

As soon as we rounded yet another corner that was pretty much abandoned, I pulled my old goggles over my eyes, feeling a strange sort of nostalgia washing over me. It had been years since I'd put these babies on and yet it felt as if nothing had changed. Like I was still my old self, with all my old friends.

"One more hallway to go." Misa panted, her fists clenched in worry. I knew this was probably a bad idea but I took Misa's hand and pushed my fingers through her fist, holding it tightly. She looked surprised for a moment before squeezing back, as if my hand were a lifeline. We may have had troubles in the past before but we were able to look past it for someone we both loved.

My heart jumped to my throat as we turned the final hallway and passed rooms 241 and 242. Room 243 was shut and I pressed my ear to the door, listening for any distinct noises or sounds. There was absolutely nothing. Not even a heart monitor.

"What the hell do you to think you're doing?" The raspy voice made me jump and in fear, I slammed my nose into the door. Misa pressed into me, her eyes widening with surprise. I turned around slowly, my arm wrapped around Misa protectively, unable to gasp in shock as I saw who it was.

John McEnroe, aka Mello's dad, stood in front of us with bloodshot eyes and a haggard expression. He looked as if he had gone through hell and back but he stood strong and proud as he always did. Misa swallowed nervously, pushing my arm off of her.

"Misa and Matthew. What a surprise." What? How did he know it was me? "Matt, don't look so surprise. I remember how my son's friends look, especially when they where their own signature trademark." I blushed as I pulled my goggled off my face, lowering my head in respect. Even now, Mello's dad had such a major effect on me that I couldn't just show blatant disrespect like I did with every other adult. No, this was Priest John McEnroe, a man that everyone admired and respected.

"So...you...do you know?" Misa stammered, her voice tiny as she dropped her head too. John eyed us both carefully for a full minute before taking a step back and gesturing to the row of seats behind him.

"Sit. Both of you." We both complied instantly sitting almost stick straight as we waited for him to speak. "Now, I know you kids have something to do with this. And I just want you to know that I want the absolute truth from you right now, not some bullshit story, you hear?" We both swallowed and nodded, wincing as he cursed. "I don't even think you two realize the severity of this situation right now. Imagine my surprise when I come to the hospital to visit the sick and instead I see my son being wheeled in..." John stopped speaking and shook slightly, bringing a hand to his eyes for a moment before speaking. "Just talk. Now."

I eyed Misa carefully and she nodded at me before lowering her head again. I guess it was up to me to start talking. But...

But where the hell did I start? How much would I say? How much could I say? Should I start from the very beginning, with the whole drug thing? Should I omit certain parts of the story? Should I twist the truth? But one look in John's pained expression and bloodshot eyes was all it took for me to start from the beginning. Not just with the whole drugs thing but the summer of eighth grade too. And as soon as I started speaking, I couldn't stop.

I told him every little event that had happened, everything that I had felt, witnessed, everything. I knew I should have held back a little but I couldn't. I just talked for god knows how long until my throat was raw and I had finally made it up to the part where we had bumped into him.

John eyed me carefully before pulling out a napkin and wiping my cheeks. To my complete surprise, I had been crying. God, how embarrassing. After everything that had happened, I had to cry like a little baby in front of the town's priest. Misa rubbed at my shoulder awkwardly, clearly not knowing what to do and we all just waited there for a few awkward moments.

"Well...you've all been very busy." John finally said, sitting down exhaustedly in the chair next to me. "I can't believe...why would Mihael ever agree to do something so dangerous? And how could you have-" He stopped speaking as I turned bright red, unable to look him in the eyes at this point. "He's always been so headstrong. Always charging forward without another thought in the face of danger. Just like his mother."

"I didn't want him to go. But we didn't know what else to do." I said miserably, wiping pathetically at the tears falling down my face. God, why did I have to be so damn stupid?

"Well its to late for what ifs at this point. What we need to focus on is the what nows." John said, looking at us both determinedly. "Now when the police come in, there's obviously going to be some confusion on why Mihael is the same person they brought in but not a girl."

"So what do we do?" Misa asked, biting her lip.

"Simple. We tell the truth." I was afraid of this happening. The truth meant trouble for all of us and there was no way I was going to let anyone else go down for my mistake.

"If anyone is taking the fall, its me." I said, wishing I felt as courageous as I sounded.

"Slow down there cowboy. We're all going to tell the truth about tonight only-" He said, giving me a pointed look. "-and then I'm going to speak with the police myself about your own punishments which will happen immediately after this is all sorted." He warned. "I have a lot of influence in this town so you two won't go to jail. But tampering with evidence will affect the case against Ryuk."

"But he's a drug dealer and a rapist." Misa interrupted.

"But there was tampered evidence." John sighed. "We might still be able to get him with drug possession with the help of your father."

"Of course." I said. "If it keeps me from going to prison and him from looking bad in front of the police, he most certainly will."

"Alright then. Our problems are solved for now. I'll make the phone call to the police and explain the situation but you to will answer any questions they have."

"What to we do after that?" Misa asked nervously.

"We wait." John said, pulling out his phone and dialing it quickly. "That's all we can do at this point."

So we sat there for god knows how long as the pain and guilt and self-hatred festered in my heart and the idea that Mello might die festered in my brain. Those angry voices in my head were digging their claws into my heart and I prayed to anyone who would listen that he would be alive. That they could take my body, my soul, my everything if he made it out of that room with a beating heart.

And in that time, doctors came and went from the room and none of us were able to get a good look. John pleaded with anyone who came by for any answers but all he got was a pitied look or a 'the doctor will see you soon enough.'

We were all frustrated and angry and hurt and scared. The possibility of Mello suddenly not being in this world was too much to bear. How could someone so vibrant suddenly be gone from the world? In a matter of hours, their existence gone and yet the world continued to spin. If he didn't make it, what could I do?

"Excuse me sir...are you the um, boys father?" John's head shot up and he stood, his body alive with nervous energy. The doctor smiled at us all reassuredly but there was something false in his smile.

"Yes. Yes I am. What is it? What happened? Can I see him?" The doctor sighed and adjusted his glasses, as if speaking to all of us was a waste of his fucking time.

"Sir, I'm sorry to say this to you..."

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><p>PLEASE READ EVERYONE! PLEASE READ EVERYONE! PLEASE READ EVERYONE!<p>

A/N: Oh no! I prolonged the torture even more! D:

At this point of the story, which is almost coming to an end - hopefully, I'll be able to have this baby done soon so fingers crossed - but I have like two chapters left. But another idea popped into my head. Another very tempting idea that would shake up my Death Note universe.

Right now, I have two ideas for how to end this story and start the sequel. My original idea that will have people satisfied but have people crying in the last story or my new idea that will absolutely kill people in this one but filled with hope (maybe but probably not) for the next.

Now, the final decision is up to me but I'm letting you know that both are great ideas and the endings of both will hopefully leave you satisfied in some way shape or form. But I do want your input. So my lovely readers, review. Review this story like there's not tomorrow. Even if you don't like to review, I want to hear your thoughts. The more people who review, the better because like I said, I have the final say but I can be persuaded to give this a happier ending if you desire that...or not.

Yes, I am bribing you. Oh well.

The story can go either way...so what do YOU want?

P.S. Hope everyone had a wonderful winter break!

P.S.S. Is everyone still excited for The Game? I'm going to have actually almost regular updates!

Thanks to Aim-For-The-Head, Charismaticmaknae, ShinigamiMailJeevas, Emmy, VampirePrinssess, Cris UchihaxSasuNaru Freak, ABECrudele, CrayolaNostalgia.x , superstrawberryL, Patrickhere, OhMyGeePinkSucksAss, Beyond Unique Light, jhoker, DarknessHidden, tealeyedmoon69, sesshyrules9198, foreverunloved, Alice Night2, DeathNotefangirl96, Meow, .x14, ktmsx125, and BlackBunnyChan13 for alerting, favoriting, subscribing this story.


	11. Chapter 10

A/N: So this is the second to last chapter of **Sin **before the epilogue! Oh my gosh aren't you excited! This story is finally coming to an end but I will hopefully be able to post the last chapter by this Friday.

Anyways, as always, its been great writing this series and I'm very excited to post up **The Game** and eventually **Redemption** which will be the final installment in this series. It will be longer than the first two stories because I'm going to try and make it twenty chapters this time so fingers crossed. But the prologue of **The Game** will go up this Friday after the horrors of the first week back in school are over.

Basically, I'm really excited for my new story so I hope you all will continue to support me and read what I have! Its a very dark and twisted fic though so if you don't want to read it, I understand. :)

I hope you all had a great New Years and I know you will all be expecting some majorly amazing writing from me this year so I'll do my best! :)

P.S. EXPECT MAJOR TEARS IN THIS CHAPTER! DO NOT SKIP TO THE END!

P.S.S. This is my longest chapter up to date! 6,202 words!

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><p>I woke up to the sound of crying. For some reason, that same painful sound followed me in my sleep. But as I blinked back surprise and confusion and the hazy feeling of sleep from my mind, the crying was gone and I was all alone, surrounded my darkness.<p>

"Are you awake?" A stranger loomed over me, flashing something bright in my eye. "Can you hear me?" God was she annoying. Why the hell won't she go away? "Patient is awake yet unresponsive." Who the hell were they talking about? I was fine and dandy. Well, maybe not quite. For some reason, I found it impossible to move and for the life of me, I didn't want to talk. Or...maybe I couldn't talk.

"Maybe his father can-"

"No. If he's not ready to wake up, then he needs to be alone." And then I just blocked them out completely because I couldn't understand a thing they were saying. Or maybe they left and I'm only dreaming. This whole thing is just some crazy dream and I'm going to wake up any minute, any second, any moment and I'll be awake

.

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"They're setting up a funeral for him." Misa said, leaning glumly back in her chair next to Matt. Matt looked absolutely miserable but what killed me was the numb look on Misa's face. I'd never seen her so pale and worn out before so the lack of life in her face was painful to watch. Who had hurt her so badly to make her look so lost?

For some reason, I had a lot of trouble picturing them next to each other, so calm instead of tense and angry. They always hated each other before...what changed?

"He shouldn't have died. Its not fair." Matt croaked, making me wince. I had never once in my life heard his voice sound so broken and desolate. It didn't make sense. Not even when he was sick as a little kid did he sound like that.

"Maybe its for the best." Misa sighed, leaning her head on Matt's shoulder. "God I miss Mello." Wait what? What were they talking about? I was right here, standing in front of them. Whose funeral were they talking about? And why did they say that they missed me? I was right in front of them goddamn it!

"You should probably go home and get some rest. Light or I will call you-"

"No. I'm staying right here." Misa stated, crossing her arms stubbornly. But I could plainly see she was exhausted. God, why didn't she just go home and sleep? What was keeping her here? Where was 'here' in the first place?

Matt shook his head and smirked, but the smile quickly dropped and his face once again adopted that morose expression I kept seeing. "Dear god, what is _she_ doing here?" She? I turned in the direction everyone was looking and to my complete surprise, Linda was walking up to them, her face strangely clear of makeup and her face twisted into an expression of pain.

"H-hi." She said timidly, biting her lip when no one said anything. "I...I wanted to come here to...to talk to him."

"What?" Matt hissed, his eyes narrowing at her hunched figure.

"I...I need to talk to him."

"Its too fucking late Melinda." Matt snapped, pushing out of his seat and standing in front of Linda like he was about to attack her. God, he looked like a feral animal, the way he was standing over her. "You made the choice to let him go as a friend and its too late to get him back. There's nothing you can say to make yourself feel better."

"But I'm sorry." Linda cried, tears streaming from her eyes as she collapsed on the floor. "I never wanted to leave him, I swear." She hiccuped, looking more vulnerable than I'd ever seen her. And even though we hadn't talked in awhile and she had betrayed me in the worst possible way, I felt a pang in my heart all the same. I didn't want to see her like this ever and she never liked to break down in front of people, yet here she was, as vulnerable as ever.

"But you did Linda. Its too late to be sorry." Misa said, her eyes on Linda's crumpled form. "Besides, they're not letting anyone in to see him." Him? Him...they said him, they kept saying him and died and missed but...but they all really meant me.

They meant me.

I'm the one they're talking about.

Me.

"I'm so stupid." She whispered, shaking wildly as she tried to compose herself. "If I could do it all again...I would. I would treat him better. I never meant to hurt him."

Matt stepped away from her and sat next to Misa again, looking utterly exhausted. "You and me both."

This whole thing was too painful to watch. I had to go, to leave, to get far away from this. But I couldn't make myself move. It was impossible for me to move and for the life of me, I couldn't talk and I was falling asleep to the sound of crying

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Life can be described as many different things but three meanings stick out to me the most: funny, delicate, and a waste of time.

Life is funny because everything you go through can seem so unimportant in a few years. The things that tortured you become so laughable you wonder why you even cared in the first place.

Life is delicate because in a single moment, you are gone. As if God above took an eraser and just scribbled you out. You can have everything you possibly want in the world but lose it all in a heartbeat.

Life is a waste of time because we're so caught up in ourselves that we hardly have anytime to look around at the beautiful world around us. And one day, we meet beautiful people who we don't appreciate until they're gone.

Life is also short, unfair, and painful. But I don't feel like describing those now. I don't feel like doing much of anything really. I'm just sort of fading away without a care in the world. Who knows what's going to happen now. All I can do is wait for

.

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_**You**__ will always be in my life, even if I'm not in your life, you're still in my memories. Matt said with a smile on his face._

_But I don't want to be just a memory, I want to be something more to you! Mello cried, crossing his arms. Matt laughed wholeheartedly wrapping his arms around his waist._

_Duh silly. You'll always be important to me._

_I better be, Mello said, burying his face in Matt's neck. I expect nothing less from you._

_Of course._

_**Are**__ you scared? Mello whispered, his grasp on Matt tight. That things will change. That when high school starts, we'll grow up and change so much that we won't feel the same for each other?_

_Of course I am. Matt said, his smile still bright. But __**my**__ feelings for you will never change. Life goes on and people grow up but my love's going to grow for you every single day. Like my appetite. Completely unstoppable._

_You're a retard. But I love you. Mello giggled, kissing Matt's cheek. I just want to remember this moment. You and me, young forever and against the world._

_The whole fucking world baby. I'm all yours. Every part of me Matt grinned, winking suggestively._

_Ugh Matt you're such a perv! You ruin __**everything**__! But Mello was smiling, curling comfortably in Matt's arms._

_That's my job. I'm a classic basket case and I need help._

_Sorry, there's no cure for stupidity._

_Ouch Mells. That burned. __**But**__ that's okay, I'm used to your verbal abuse._

_That's right. Stockholm syndrome is the way to go. Matt laughed, brushing the hair from Mello's neck and kissing the soft skin there. __**I **__think the others are waiting for us._

_Huh? What do you mean?_

_Light's sister is having a cheerleading game and we promised we'd go._

_Did we? Oh come on, I thought you didn't want to go. Matt complained, holding onto Mello tightly._

_I know but...__**still**__, we promised we would. Mello wriggled himself from Matt's hold and hopped onto the patio, holding out his hand._

_Do you even know where we're going? I always get __**lost**__ to these things you know. _

_Don't worry. I know the way. Before Mello could make his way to L's house so they could get a ride from his mom, Matt pulled him back and kissed him so softly on the lips that Mello shivered at the sheer contact. _

_I love __**you**__ Mello_

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_I'm having a party later this week. And you are cordially invited. Matt whispered, kissing Mello on the nose. Mello however, did not return Matt's easygoing smile and even turned away from a second kiss._

_A party? Why?_

_Why? Just...because. Matt said, his smile disappearing. Are you okay? You seem a little off today. _

_I-I'm fine. I...I'm just not a party person. Mello said lamely, avoiding Matt's stare._

_Mells, what's with you? Its just a party. What are you so scared about?_

_Who said I was scared? _

_Your face. _

_Mello rolled his eyes and pushed away from Matt, suddenly annoyed with the situation. Just forget it okay? Forget I said anything. I'm gonna go home now._

_What? No! Mells I'm sorry! Matt said, immediately wrapping himself around Mello and pulling him down on the bed. Mello wriggled uselessly in Matt's strong hold for a few seconds before relenting in Matt's arms._

_Matt you need to ease up on the steroids._

_Haha, you're hilarious. I'm actually planning on trying out for the football team when school starts. Gonna be your star quarter back. Mello smiled at Matt's goofy expression and kissed him on the cheek._

_Well you've got the height for it. And Light does too. And L except he would never touch a ball in the first place...and then there's me. Short little old me. Mello pouted._

_You'll hit your growth spurt. Then again, your dad is kind of short. But that's not the point of this conversation._

_Its not?_

_Talk to me. Tell me what's bothering you._

_I just have a weird feeling. About..._

_About?_

_Losing you._

_Losing me?_

_What are you, a parrot? Yes! I don't want to lose you. Mello huffed, his face turning bright red under Matt's piercing gaze. _

_You're never going to lose me Mello. I'm stuck with you whether you like it or not. Besides, a party's not going to tear us apart. I'll be there with you the whole time. I swear. Mello nodded and smiled, but couldn't erase the doubt in the back of his mind._

_What if I lose you_

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_._

_Matt stood at the end of the hallway at Mello talking with some girl and completely ignoring his presence. He felt angry and jealous at the girl for stealing Mello's attention, for thinking that she was so high and mighty that she could be best friends with Mello. He wanted to make that girl miserable, to make her suffer, to make her-_

_What's got you looking so down? Light asked, slapping Matt's shoulder. He soon followed Matt's glare and spotted Mello, shaking his head. You should apologize to him for whatever you did. He won't talk to me at all._

_I told you I already did Matt spat, turning away from Light so he could be alone. He hates me._

_Must've been some fight. Light said, falling into step with Matt. But don't you worry buddy. I'm here for you. Mello will come around...eventually._

But he won't _Matt thought, wanting nothing more than to march right over to Mello and snatch him away. Whatever man, I don't want to talk about him anymore._

_Light pressed his lips together as if he wanted to say more but he didn't. Matt took this as a good sign. So...have you talked to L?_

_No man, not since the party. For whatever reason, he's pissed at me too._

_Well I ain't pissed at you Light said, throwing his arm across Matt's shoulders. I'm here for you man. If Mello and L want to pms about some stupid fight and lose our friendship then fuck em. You got me._

_How can you say that? They're our best friends._

_I know that Matt but damn. You know I love those two death but if they're not going to talk to either of us then I'm not going to lose sleep over it. Yeah, it hurts but I want to get through high school drama free. Besides, if you give them both space, they'll eventually come around._

_That's just the thing though. Mello and L aren't talking to each other either. Light froze, pulling away from Matt with a confused expression. _

_Wait, now I'm confused. Mello AND L are both ignoring you for different reasons and they've both branched off from the group?_

_Yeah. This fucking sucks Matt groaned, ignoring the curious stares of his new classmates, who were eyeing him like a piece of meat._

_Well think about it this way. We may be freshman but we're certainly getting a lot of attention from the ladies Light said suggestively. And who knows, maybe this will make Mello jealous._

_I don't care about making Mello jealous Matt said calmly, winking at one of the freshman girls and causing her to giggle. I'm over him._

_Then lets take over this school then, shall we?_

_Hell yes Matt said as they walked over to the freshman girls that had been eyeing them both. It didn't take long before they each got phone numbers and invitations to parties and as confident as that made Matt feel, he still felt strangely empty. Maybe I'm not over him but...maybe I don't want to be._

_Maybe I can't live without him  
><em>

_._

_._

_._

_._

_._

_"If you want to leave, then that's okay. I don't want you to be in any more pain. It would kill me if you left but I can't make you stay. No matter how much I want that second chance to prove how much I love you, life doesn't work out that way so...what I mean is, you don't have to hold on anymore. You can finally be free and not have to worry about us. I'll take care of your dad and Misa. I know they need you now more than ever and I need you too but if this horrifying experience has taught me anything, its that your happiness matters the most. So if being happy means leaving, then go. But if there's any chance you want to hold on and fight I will be here. I think the scariest part of all this for me is actually admitting that I can let you go. If you stay, I'll make like worth your while but if you go then I can't stop you. I just want you to know that I love you Mihael Keehl. I love you so much that my chest aches and my throat is swollen and my eyes are all dried up from crying. I love you so much that...I'll always be here if you ever need me again. I wish my love was strong enough to keep you here but if its not, then I'll love you up until the moment you're ready to go."_

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_._

1 Month Later

I could finally see light. Not just overpowering bright light but sunlight, sparkling in my eyes. I finally felt alive. I could feel my entire body for the first time, feel the dryness on my lips, the the bareness of my toes, and the tickle of my hair on my shoulders.

And I could see Matt, lopsided in a chair, fast asleep. It surprised me to see him like this because he had changed. His red hair had darkened considerably as if someone had sucked the life out of it and he looked like he hadn't been outside in days. He was sporting a short beard that made him look even more disheveled and his clothes hung on him like he had lost weight.

The only reason I knew it was Matt despite his complete 180 of a transformation was because he was snoring. No one in this world snored the way he did.

I was afraid to move because I had no idea where we were and I didn't want to disturb Matt in his state. He looked so frail. But my body was frozen with tension and practically twitched at the idea of moving. Except that I didn't twitch at all. I couldn't move any part of myself, as if I was frozen solid.

Instead of panicking like I thought I would, I felt strangely and eerily calm. Peaceful even. I turned my attention back to Matt, whose head had now slumped forward. It didn't take a genius to know how broken he was but until he woke up, I would never know. But the thought of actually talking to him and finding out what had changed so drastically in my life scared me.

Fortunately, I didn't have to worry long because as soon as I heard the sound of a door closing, I shut my eyes, not knowing if I could face whoever was coming in. Was it my dad? Misa? Light or L?

"Matty dear." A woman sighed, clicking her tongue. "How many times have I told you to use the pull out bed?" The snoring abruptly stopped and the sound of Matt chuckling made me tense.

"Sorry." He groaned in a voice like gravel. "I keep forgetting. I just like being close to him."

"Of course you do." The woman said, shuffling through the room. "Now, why don't you go get breakfast downstairs while I check his vitals?"

"Um...that's okay. I'm not hungry." The room was uncomfortably silent for a minute before the woman sighed.

"Well I'll have someone bring you a meal then...again. Now onto you Mihael." A gloved hand touched the side of my neck and I shivered at the cold feel of it. The woman didn't seem to notice and continued to feel the side of my neck, making me feel extremely uncomfortable. I wanted nothing more than to push her away but that would mean having to talk to Matt and I wasn't ready for that. "That's new. There's a pike in his heart rate."

"What?" Matt asked, his voice suddenly alive with emotion. "Is-is he waking up? Do you think he can hear us now?"

"Now I wouldn't go that far. It might be nothing, it might be stress. I'll have the doctor come see him later." The woman tugged at the sheets surrounding me and pulled the covers down to my waist. "Could be that he's hot. Just don't get you're hopes up Matt. You know what the doctor said about him. I'll be back to make sure you've eaten."

"No need. I'll um...go downstairs now."

"Good. But I'd shave before you go anywhere. Just saying." Matt grunted as the door closed. After a minute of complete silence, I wondered if it was Matt that had left the room or the woman or both of them. But the sound of a heavy sigh told me that Matt was still here with me.

"Morning Mells." Matt said, suddenly so much closer to me. His voice was soothing now, completely opposite of the desolation I had heard in his voice a few minutes earlier. It was eerie how quickly he had switched. "I'm just going to breakfast for a bit but I promise I'll be back soon." I should say something to him, anything to keep him from sounding so...different. But I couldn't make myself talk. I tried but I couldn't. God was there something wrong with me?

Matt pulled away slowly and I heard his retreating footsteps disappear into another room. I cautiously opened my eyes and watched as Matt splashed water in his face in what I presumed was the bathroom. Even from this far away, I could see the shadows under his eyes. But for now, he couldn't see me, which gave me a moment to simply just watch him.

He no longer looked like a cocky high school student who loved to be in control but like someone who had aged considerably too soon. He still looked youthful to me but he was lacking so much energy that he looked like a stranger to me. And he might as well be at this point.

The change in him scared me. I had no idea what was going on in his life, no idea what was going on with my life and yet he was the only person with answers. But did I have the courage to actually speak to him? If he was different on the outside, was he still the same insecure person on the inside? Or had he changed?

Matt was still oblivious to me watching him but I was fine with that. I needed to get out of my head for awhile and see something simple. I watched as he shook a bottle of shaving cream before spraying it all over his face, making him look ridiculous. And it was...nice to see him when he wasn't putting on a show for everyone, either trying to make you laugh or trying to turn you on.

Maybe he has changed. Maybe I can trust him. Damn I was confused. I needed to talk to someone else, someone who would make all this confusion go away. Misa would be the best choice but I had no idea where she was. No I couldn't talk to Misa. I needed my dad right now. I needed him here next to me, supporting me right now. But why wasn't he? What could he possibly be doing that was so much more important than being with me? And why was it that Matt would be here right now instead of my own father?

The sound of water running snapped me back to reality and I watched as Matt rinsed his razor, having cleaned half of his face. I had to say, he looked a thousand times better without the beard and a million times healthier. But he didn't seem to care at this point. I knew I should have looked away by now or at least closed my eyes because Matt turned to look at me and froze when he saw my face.

I was so shocked by the simple intensity of his face that everything possibly coherent left my mind. His green eyes widened slightly but his face was carefully blank, as if he couldn't quite believe what was happening. And I simply stared back at him until the awkward silence was too much for me to handle. "Hi."

Matt looked like he was going to collapse as he took a cautious step forward, and then another one until he was almost at the foot of the bed. "Hi." He said, his voice still raw from emotion. "You...you're...Mells..."

"You still have half a beard." I croaked, suddenly realizing how thirsty I was. "Its pretty ugly. It looks like someone taped a dying rat to you're face." Matt chuckled dryly, wiping away some of the foam on his face.

"I thought that you would fade away if you didn't have someone near you all the time. I just, I made sure I was with you so I could give you a reason to stay. That if you kept hearing my voice, maybe you would hear me." Matt said, dragging a chair to my bedside. "You have no idea how scared I was...and how long you've been gone."

"How long was I..." Gone? In a coma?

"A month. But it felt like..." Matt stopped speaking and buried his face in his hands.

"What? What did it feel like?"

"Like you were ready to leave. Like you weren't coming back. I've been so scared to leave because I thought if I came back and you were gone, I would just die." Matt said, his face void of all expression. "But you're still here...and awake." His voice was so painful to hear that I just had to change the subject because now I was hurting.

"Where is here exactly?"

"The hospital." Which began to clarify things up...but there was still more to know.

"How did I get in a coma?"

"Allergic reaction to the drugs Ryuk forced down your throat." Matt said, looking away from me as if he felt uncomfortable. "And blunt force trauma."

"Well at least now you'll be able to tell if I do drugs or not." I said, frowning when Matt winced and pulled away.

"I can't...ugh...I'm gonna get the nurse and you're dad or something." He said, walking towards the door without another look back. I was almost confused by his sudden coldness and eagerness to leave but then I realized what was really going on.

Matt still loved me. He loved me so much that he had camped out in the hospital for an entire month and stayed here by my side for days on end. He was here hoping and praying for me while I was in a coma and when I finally did wake up, I didn't even bother to ask him what he was feeling, or to even say thank you. How could I be so freaking stupid?

"Matt wait!" I called, wincing as my voice cracked painfully. Matt turned to look at me with a worried expression but still kept his hand on the door knob. "Please...don't go. I...I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" Matt asked, immediately rushing back over and taking his place by my side. "Are you feeling okay? Are you sure?"

"I'm fine Matt. I only want you to stay here with me." Matt smiled shyly and took my still numb hand in his, squeezing it softly. "I'm trying to squeeze you're hand back but I can't feel it." Matt laughed softly and laid his head down next to my mine, so his face was only inches away.

"Alright. I'm here to stay." Matt said, the strands of his half shaved beard tickling my cheek. Just like that, things were fine between us. So simple and easy, like it always should have been.

"So I have a lot of questions right now because I'm still very confused."

"Fire away."

"What happened to Ryuk? Did he eventually get arrested?" Matt grimaced at this and nodded but there was something odd about his expression. "What?"

"Ryuk...when they took him into custody, they informed him that he could be facing life with all the things they were charging him with and he...well he committed suicide."

"Whoa. That's just..."

"Bullshit." Matt sighed, biting his lip. "I really wish he did go to prison for what he did but at least we won't have to worry about dealing with his sorry ass again."

"So Ryuk committed suicide, I fell into a coma...what exactly happened this entire month?"

"Well eventually you're dad made everyone go to school but I refused. I dropped out and started taking all my classes online, just so I could keep an eye on you." Matt admitted with a blush. "Don't make that face at me."

"Matt you dumb ass! Why would you drop out? You must've pissed your dad off so much."

"Well I wouldn't know. He disowned me."

"He what?"

"He didn't approve of my choices so he cut me off completely. At least he got me off the drug charges before the cut. But no worries, I still have my grandparents very generous trust fund that's bound to keep me happy until I'm fifty. And plus, you're dad said I'm always welcome at your house."

"Well that's...something."

"Well I'm not gonna cry over spilled milk. Especially if its rotten. Anyways, on with the story. Misa's been coming here every day after school and she's worried sick about you. But L's been keeping her...preoccupied as of late." He said, suddenly looking away. That was all the proof I needed to know that L and Misa were actually going out! I knew she liked him but still...the shock was just the same. "Light's been coming around more on the weekends because his parents are forcing him to take all these extracurriculars. But he does come around a lot with Matsuda. L too. And...well..."

"Who else?"

"Linda." For some reason, I wasn't as surprised as I should've felt. I remembered that weird dream I had had so long ago when I had seen her crying on the floor but I wasn't sure if it was real. "She's been coming here every day. I think she feels like an idiot for everything she's done to you but I can't be too sure. Its probably just guilt she's trying to get rid of." He said dismissively.

"What time is it?"

"Eleven fifteen right now. Everyone's at school right now so I should probably text them that you're awake-"

"Don't do that. I can simply see them when they get out at two thirty." But Matt had already pulled out his phone and began texting people. "Seriously Matt, don't tell everyone. Just Light, L, and Misa. And I guess Matsuda."

"What about Linda?"

"What about her?"

"Well if she's come to see me every day, I'm sure she would want to know." I said, ignoring the angry look in his eyes.

"After everything she's done to you, you're just going to let her back into your life?"

"Well she's not the only friend I've had to betray my trust." Matt winced at that and pulled away slightly, as if the force of my words had actually moved him. "I'm not saying I'm letting her back in. I just need to...talk to her."

"Okay then...point taken." Matt sighed, sending one last text before relaxing. "So...is there anything you need right now?" I thought about what I could possibly want right now in the world but one look at Matt's face told me what I needed to do.

"Shave that creature off your face and go get some food. You look like a homeless man and you smell like one too. You should shower as well."

"Ouch Mells. That burned. But I'm used to your verbal abuse." His words for some reason made me feel the most painful sense of emptiness in my chest. Something was familiar in those words, something I couldn't recall that made me feel lost and alone.

"Well then hop to it." I said, finally having enough feeling in my hand to squeeze his hand back. Matt smiled and stood up slowly, obviously reluctant to leave.

"You better be alive when I come out. I mean it." He warned, kissing my hand softly.

"I'm not going anywhere."

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><p>AN: So how hard did you guys cry? Because I did...a lot! In the end...I couldn't do it. I can't kill off Mello. As much as I love a good dramatic story, it is very difficult for me to kill off characters I've invested so much emotionally in.

And even though sometimes, you have to let a character go, its hard! Its really freaking hard! I may like going for the dark and dramatic but I am a firm believer in happy endings because everybody deserves one :) Sometimes, people also deserve a second chance because you never know what could happen.

Thanks to foreverunloved, OhMyGeePinkSucksAss, Stone-Magnolia, ILuvYa44, tealeyedmoon69, mockingjay-lawliet-paramore, superstrawberryL, ABECrudele, VampirePrinssess, wishingbell, x. Tina. x14, and sesshyrules9198.

Expect the final chapter this Friday along with the prologue of **The Game**! XDDD I've been waiting for months to show this story! My god its finally here!


	12. Chapter 11

A/N: HERE IT IS! The last chapter...wow. This is a kind of sort of fluffy not so long wrap it up chapter because I don't want to overdo it. But here it is!

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><p>Mello's POV<p>

"But John-"

"No buts Matt. As long as you live under this roof, then you will abide by my rules. You are going back to school."

"But I'm already three months ahead of everybody!"

"Doesn't matter. I'm calling the school now to discuss your predicament." And with that, my dad left the room, leaving Matt to pout on my bed and groan repeatedly.

"This sucks Mello. I don't want to go back to school. I was enjoying my life as a free man. Sleeping late, eating how I want, no homework..."

"Are you done living that moment?" I snorted shoving his feet off _my_ bed. "You can go complain in _your_ room you know. I don't need to hear your constant stream of 'pity me.'" Matt rolled his eyes but smiled, sitting up and scooting closer to me.

"But Mellie poo, I would just die without you!" Matt said dramatically, grinning at me devilishly. "What on earth would you do without your Matty-kins?"

"Matt, you swore you wouldn't repeat that! I was on medication and you were the only person in the room so lay off it! And don't call me Mellie poo!"

"Medication schmedication. I mean, yes, you did propose to a flower pot but that's not the point. I am never going to let you forget this." I sighed as my phone began to vibrate. Misa. My savior thank god!

"Hey Mi, are you spending the night?"

"Yes I am! Mom's going to drop me off in like a half hour so I'll see you soon!"

"Well be quick. Matt's torturing me again." Misa giggled at this and Matt smiled as he began to play with my hair.

"Don't worry Mellie poo, I'll be right there."

"The hell did you call me?" The call ended right then and there and I turned to glare at Matt. "You told her? Matt, you goddamn son of a-"

"Mihael, language!" Dad called from the other room. I instantly turned beet red as Matt fell back on the bed laughing hysterically.

"I am loving it here!" He said, ignoring my hateful stares. "Best days of my life."

"Mihael, you have a visitor! A young girl is here to see you." Matt immediately stopped laughing and turned to give me a confused look.

"Is that Misa?"

"No. Dad already knows Misa and would just let her in. Besides, Misa said she'd take awhile to get here." Matt was instantly on the alert, rushing towards my door to see who was in the living room. "Matt wait-" The door slammed shut behind him and I scowled to myself. God, why was he such an awful listener?

I quickly followed him to the living room, completely surprised to see who was standing awkwardly by the front door.

"Linda?" Linda smiled at me thinly, pausing to glare at Matt before facing me again. She looked exactly as she had when I had that weird dream of mine in my coma. Undyed hair, completely void of makeup, and dressed rather causally. It was such a surprise to see her that all I could do was stare.

That day when I woke up from the hospital, everyone had come to visit me, even the majority of the school. That is, everyone except for Linda. She never showed even though Matt swore up and down that he had texted her and that she always came to visit me.

"Hey Mello." Linda said softly, looking shy all of a sudden. "Umm, can we talk? Alone?" Dad instantly took Matt's shoulder and maneuvered him out of the room. I gestured to the couch and sat down and she sat awkwardly next to me, leaving a wide berth between us. "So...how are you feeling?"

"A lot better actually. I should be starting school on Monday along with Matt." Linda made a face at the mention of Matt's name but otherwise remained silent. "So...how are you?"

"Same old." She shrugged. looking at her hands. "Well sort of. I stopped hanging out with Near and I've dropped from the school's high graces you know?"

"Well I've never really cared about popularity so no I wouldn't know." I said calmly, although I could feel the anger inside of me. "Is being popular still so important to you? Is that why you're here?"

"God no Mello! What I did with you last year was stupid! So stupid of me I still beat myself up for it! You were the only real friend I ever had and I threw it all away because I'm an idiot. I've been wanting to apologize to you for the longest but I never did and when you were in the hospital...I thought I was too late. I thought I'd screwed everything up for good and I could never tell you how I feel now."

"You did screw things up. And one apology that was almost too late is not going to fix it." I snapped, ignoring the crestfallen expression on her face. "Believe it or not, I'm still hurt from losing you. You were my best friend in the worst of times but when I needed you most, you dropped me. Why should I trust you?"

"Because I'm going to tell you the truth Mello." Linda sighed, looking uncomfortable. "I know this means you will never forgive me or trust me ever again but I have to tell you...it was my idea to put the drugs in Matt's locker. Kiyomi and I were hanging out at the party until she ditched me to go sleep with...Light." I shivered at the metal image of Light sleeping with Kiyomi. "I then went to go hangout with Near and we chilled out for awhile until I got a call from her an hour later. She called me up freaking out to say that some dude called Ryuk gave her some bad drugs and she tripped badly and ended up in the school. She said that the cops were on their way and she didn't know what to do and he had left her with the drugs. I left to go pick her up while Near turned off the cameras and I told her to plant the drugs in someone's locker. So we put them in Matt's."

I didn't know what to do at that very moment. The truth didn't shock me as much as I thought it would, simply because the blame had been put on Ryuk and Ryuk was dead so Matt was free. But what would I do now? Personally? Emotionally? Morally? Should I turn Linda in?

"God Linda...you didn't have to tell me all this." I finally said. "This doesn't make up for what you've done at all."

"I know Mello. I know what I did was wrong. And I know what you're going to do."

"You do?"

"You're going to tell your dad and I'm going to go to jail right? I mean, I framed someone and you would do anything to bring the bad guys to justice." She said, looking solemn.

"You know Linda, you're right. I do whatever I can to help people who deserve justice and you don't deserve it. But I've learned that life is too short to hold grudges. I can spend all my life hating you and feeling betrayed and while I do still feel betrayed, I don't want to be angry. So I won't be. I believe everyone deserves a second chance if they're willing to prove themselves. Matt proved himself by taking care of me so that was his second chance. And you proved yourself by telling me the truth. Now this doesn't mean we're best friends but it does mean that I won't turn you in. You did something risky to save a friend and that's...admirable. I mean, you did the wrong thing for the right reasons but still. Thank you for telling me the truth." Linda nodded and smiled, looking relieved.

"Thank you Mello. And I know you're not ready to accept my apology for what I've done and I don't blame you but just know that if you ever want to be friends again, give me a call."

"I will." I promised as I walked her to the door. "Eventually. I'll see you around Melinda." Linda walked away from my house and waved once.

"See ya." She called, looking happier and freer than I'd ever seen her before.

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><p>AN: So that's it! Fluff! Gah its choking me! So what did you think of that chapter? Honestly, I know all of you hate Linda but since she reminds me of an ex best friend of mine who I still miss dearly even though we don't talk anymore...I have a soft spot for her. I feel as if there are more layers to a person than people see and I always try and see the whole picture. So I hope you all enjoyed!

Anyways, I have already posted up the first chapter of **The Game **so PLEASE CHECK IT OUT IF YOU LOVE ME!

Thanks to everyone who ever supported this story: SyC0bEaR, tealeyedmoon69, DeathNotefangirl96, superstrawberryL, FlyingSolo365, MelMat, ktmsx125, xMisaki-chan, TamiLawliet, ShinigamiMailJeevas, mellofangirl, LoveUntilWeBleed, iatethecookie, ILuvYa44, OhMyGeePinkSucksAss, 10-iz4, Vampire Prinssess, wishingbell, Cris UchihaxSasuNaru Freak, Natasha050, Just-A-LittleBoyShy, Nicole-chanxo, CrayolaNostalgia.x, Molly2342, ying-yang love, BloodyFacesAndBlackHearts, MakenshiCrona, MattyBoy21, ABECrudele, NinjaPrincessHaruka, hlodi, Ms. ShMary,BloodyFacesAndBlackHearts, MelMat, VampirePrinssess, tealeyedmoon69, RitsuHiroki, Saffylaffy, OrangyGoodness, Unicorn of Awesomeness, wishingbell, Black-heart-of-Rose, Angelic-Spirals, koneko-chan3, Cris UchihaxSasuNaru Freak, BehindHappyFaces, ktmsx125, BloodyFacesAndBlackHearts, wishingbell, ying-yang love, Miharu is Haruka's Love Child, HarryPotterMangaGleek, ABECrudele, NinjaPrincessHaruka, Cris UchihaxSasuNaru Freak, jhoker, ClOuDs-N-rAiNbOwS, maili-chan, PIE, EndlessStorm, MelMat, BloodyFacesAndBlackHearts, HarryPotterMangaGleek, Mirror of Melancholy, owlcitystars98, BTFizzleyo, foreverunloved, LoveUntilWeBleed, Deekie, textbookhauntings, .x14, Glitterthorn, BloodyFacesAndBlackHearts, Nicole-chanxo, wishingbell, .x14, MagnusBanesBitch, K-Star Happy Face, , xxxIDKanimexxx, KaruSilverRain, shatteredRiddle, Alice Night2, esoteric-x, equinewhisperer, ktmsx125, Ari-Skye, BloodyFacesAndBlackHearts, wishingbell, BehindHappyFaces, jhoker, amanohara, EndlessStorm, PopTart, ForTheLoveofJeevas, tealeyedmoon69, owlcitystars98, theDwarfintheFlask, V.T.W, shadows and silhouettes, PlagueOfAnime, Charismaticmaknae, NinjaPrincessHaruka, DBreBre-z, Kismesis 4evr, mockingjay-lawliet-paramore, Edge of the Sky, MNLMFangirl, Charismaticmaknae, jhoker, DeathNotefangirl96, mockingjay-lawliet-paramore, BehindHappyFaces, tealeyedmoon69, JustIdleTalk, sesshyrules9198, , ABECrudele, MelMat, mattxmellomxm2forever, Patrickhere, Aim-For-The-Head, Charismaticmaknae, ShinigamiMailJeevas, Emmy, VampirePrinssess, Cris UchihaxSasuNaru Freak, ABECrudele, CrayolaNostalgia.x, Patrickhere, , Beyond Unique Light, jhoker, DarknessHidden, Alice Night2, Meow, .x14, ktmsx125, BlackBunnyChan13, foreverunloved, Stone-Magnolia, ILuvYa44, mockingjay-lawliet-paramore, wishingbell, sesshyrules9198, Dooseob, Stone-Magnolia, tealeyedmoon69, and DeathNotefangirl96.

A lot of your names are repeated like a dozen times and I'm too lazy to edit :p Thanks for all the support guys and girls!

P.S. Check out my page for updates of any of my stories!

P.S.S. If you want to know the exact second **Redemption** is coming up, shoot me a message/leave me a review (if you're logged in) to tell you personally when its up. If not, I'll just add, an extra chapter onto **Sin**.

P.S.S.S. Even though this is the official last chapter, I have a little background info to both of my stories **Virgin** and **Sin** so if you want me to put it up, I'll be happy too. Let me know!

Bye everybody! :D


	13. Extra

A/N: I REPOSTED CHAPTER TWELVE SO GO CHECK THAT OUT! THERE WAS AN ERROR WITH THE UPDATE BUT NOW ITS FIXED! I REPEAT: I REPOSTED CHAPTER TWELVE SO GO CHECK THAT OUT! THERE WAS AN ERROR WITH THE UPDATE BUT NOW ITS FIXED!

**The Virgin & Sin Exclusive:**

Behind the Scenes

I thought it would be cool to add this little tidbit. I've always liked the idea of showing my readers interesting fun facts about the story before, during, and after its written. Here's some stuff about both of the stories that you might be surprised to know.

Virgin

-When I first planned out the story, it was supposed to be WAY longer. Like, twenty-thirty chapters long. I was going to put together the plot of **Sin** with **Virgin** originally and then have the story continue until senior year until finally, **Redemption** would take place later in their lives.

-There were originally only going to be two stories. A third story didn't even exist until I started **Sin**.

-I didn't know who the heck Matt's brother was going to be until I started writing the part where he actually had a brother. I had to quickly check a character list and see who would fit the profile as jackass ;)

-Ironically, the name I originally had for Matt's brother was Nate. I know right? And yes, he was an OC. Not Near. Lol, that would have been an epic fail.

-My original plan was, after the whole drug/video fiasco, Mello and Light would date each other, well into the second story.

-Misa was never supposed to be friends with Mello. I always hated her in the Manga/Anime with a passion so I made her an idiotic bimbo to start off with. And just randomly, in the middle of writing the chapter, I decided her to be the friend that helped Mello out in his depression. Because I thought it would be interesting to show Misa from a different side, a Misa who wasn't obsessed with Light but with some actual human qualities. If you think about it, Misa is one of the most loyal characters to begin with and will always watch out for someone if she thinks its right. It also shocked me how so many people thought Misa planted the drugs...

-Mello was supposed to have a chapter (or at least part of a chapter) with Matt in detention. Because in this version, Misa was not Mello's good friend and therefore did not rip up the detention slip.

-Matt and Misa were never friends in my head. Never. Couldn't make it work.

-Matt and L did cocaine at the party with Mikami and his friends. Light and Mello were doing something else and never knew about this.

-Which means that in that version, L would have edited out him doing the drugs to make Matt look like the bad guy.

-Which also means that L threatened to show the edited video to Mello if Matt didn't leave him alone, which was the overall reason that Matt hated him. Matt then told Light some bullshit reason so Light hated L too and then L avoided them all together.

-Linda is loosely based on a friend of mine. Or ex-friend I should say. What I mean is, Linda and Mello could disagree about something and then get over it five minutes later. My friend and I did the same thing. I already planned the fallout with Linda and Mello (no matter what it was going to happen) and then later the friend and I had a fallout. Couldn't help but think it was ironic.

-Mello was not very religious. He respected his father but did not feel a connection to God whatsoever. And because of this, when he "dated" Light, he was not as shy with him.

-Matsuda wasn't stupid. Seriously. Just loyal. Reading back on earlier versions of him, I notice that he's just cocky, not stupid.

-Linda's full name was never meant to be Melinda. I put that by accident, then realized I liked the sound of it.

-L was gay. Then bisexual. And finally straight.

-No matter what version of this story was...Mello was always short ;)

Sin

-As I said before, this plot was originally combined with Virgin.

-As I also said before, Light and Mello were dating (can you believe it?)

-Matt was originally arrested on a Friday and called Mello himself to come help him. He told Mello he was framed, begged Mello for his forgiveness, and told him that he only had three days to find out who did it while he remained in jail until Monday.

-The suspect list was much shorter. In fact, it didn't even exist until I wrote it in.

-There was only one person involved. Matsuda.

-In the original version, Light gave Mello his first hand job in this story :OOO

-L was (in this version) still on drugs and for part of the story (when it was combined) Mello would try and get him help.

-Mello was never meant to have any girl best friends in this story after what happened with Linda.

-L and Light weren't meant to get along AT ALL. Instead, it was L and Matt that ended up hanging out but Light still held a grudge against L for whatever he did.

-Light was never meant to hate Matt for so long because he ended up dating Mello and was no longer jealous.

-I never planned to introduce Mello's dad in the story

-Mello's mom was alive and well

-Matt's mom was originally the dead one.

-I wrote a small one-shot of a six year old Matt being sexually abused by his father and Mikami (Nate) being in the room, pretending to be asleep. Matt mentions how his father said he looked like his mother but later apologized for his inappropriate behavior. It also later shows Matt's father trying to control him with the simplest things, such as tapping his phone and having security watch him wherever he went. (But this was in the old version)

-Mello lived in a rich neighborhood with Matt, Light, and L as neighbors which made their friendship easier as kids. Now, only Matt and Light live in the same area and only they are wealthy. L and Mello are middle class in different locations.

-Near was never meant to be popular. In fact, Mello loved to get into fights and beat him up.

-L's vice was never supposed to be drinking. It was originally drug abuse.

-And finally, no matter what version of the story this was, Mello was still short as hell ;)

So that's all for now. The behind the scenes of **Virgin **and **Sin**. I'll do the same for **Redemption **when its posted up. Hope you enjoyed the fun facts!

And now finally, I'm done with the story.


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